Ceuta’s migrant crisis: Sexual assaults rise to almost daily incidents

Sun Sep 06 2026 02:44:11 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Spanish prosecutors report 23 sexual assaults in Ceuta, nearly one per day, amid a surge of 5,000 migrants. Children are especially vulnerable and authorities are scrambling to respond.

The Spanish exclave of Ceuta, which has seen a sudden influx of migrants from Morocco, is now experiencing a series of sexual assaults, with 23 incidents recorded since late July, including nine involving children. Prosecutor Silvia Rojas says there has been almost one case per day, a sharp spike linked to the mass crossing. At least 72,000 people crossed Ceuta on 30‑31 July, some 5,000 of whom remain in the city—many children—leading to social disorder, a political crisis, and calls for government action. CNN and government agencies are grappling with the crisis while international tensions over Ceuta’s status add pressure. Pedro Sánchez’s administration faces criticism for handling the migrant wave and for addressing the violence that has erupted.

Sexual assaults happening almost every day in Ceuta, prosecutors say

A migrant living on Trampolin Beach, on 31 August, 2026 in Ceuta, Spain.

Spanish prosecutors say 23 sexual assaults, including nine against children, have been recorded in Ceuta since the mass influx of migrants into the Spanish exclave at the end of July.

That number means almost one case every day, Ceuta's chief prosecutor Silvia Rojas said.

She told El País that migrant girls were “particularly vulnerable because of their irregular status in the territory”.

At least 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta on 30 and 31 July, and while most have returned, up to 5,000 remain—creating unrest in the northern African enclave and a crisis for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Between 1,400 and 1,600 of the estimated 5,000 migrants still in Ceuta are children, Rojas said.

The suspected attackers include four Moroccans, three Spaniards and a Belgian, according to Efe news agency.

Violence has erupted as tensions flare between migrants and local residents.

Sánchez called a national security council meeting in a week to address the issue.

Rojas said the influx had led to an exponential increase in sexual assault, and many victims did not file a report due to fear of their “current situation in Ceuta”.

The Spanish Society of Epidemiology noted the border crisis has highlighted the difficulty in detecting and tackling violence against migrant women and girls.

A 24‑year‑old woman from Morocco told the BBC she had “put her life in danger” travelling to Ceuta and was sexually assaulted while sleeping among a group of men and women. “I was shocked… If I had known this, I wouldn’t have come.”

Emergency doctor Susana Ascaso said her department at Ceuta University Hospital treated several sexual assault victims, including a 10‑year‑old.

Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said a mult‑million‑euro aid package would help provide essential services and cover care for unaccompanied children.

The conservative mayor Juan Jesús Vivas has called on Spaniards to support Ceuta in demonstrations across mainland Spain on Wednesday, coinciding with the city’s annual holiday.

Opposition parties criticize the government’s handling; Vox said Sánchez had “handed it over”.

Arantxa Campos, president of the Ceuta Employers’ Confederation, told the BBC: ‘We can’t do anything unless these people leave. We don’t have a plan from the government. No idea when the screening will finish.’