Spain’s central government delegate in Ceuta, Miguel Ángel Pérez Triano, said the National Police have begun screening migrants who remain in the enclave following last week’s mass border crossings, as authorities move to assess and either accept or reject asylum applications.
Speaking to Europa Press, Pérez Triano acknowledged that the large number of people awaiting assistance means the process must be carried out gradually. He estimated that around 2,500 migrants remain in the city.
During a press briefing on Tuesday evening after visiting the Príncipe Alfonso neighborhood, where hundreds of migrants are still present, Pérez Triano stressed that “administrative procedures are individual, not collective, and must be conducted with full legal guarantees.”
He explained that the screening process involves the National Police verifying each person’s identity, collecting personal data, and determining whether they are seeking international protection. For Moroccan nationals whose asylum requests are rejected, he said, return procedures will be initiated.
“Moroccan nationals whose asylum applications are denied will ultimately be returned to their country of origin,” Pérez Triano said.
The government delegate also announced that authorities expect to open a Temporary Foreigners Assistance Center (CATE) within approximately one month. The facility will be established in a warehouse that has already been identified.
According to Pérez Triano, the new center will allow authorities to conduct screening procedures more efficiently. Migrants will be able to stay at the facility for up to 72 hours while identity checks and initial administrative procedures are completed.
He noted that the search for a location for the CATE facility had begun before last Thursday’s mass crossings, as Ceuta was already facing sustained migratory pressure. Authorities had also reinforced the Civil Guard’s maritime service and the National Police’s Foreigners Unit in anticipation of increasing arrivals.
At the same time, the Spanish government has begun accelerating transfers of migrants who were already housed at Ceuta’s Temporary Immigrant Reception Center (CETI) before the latest influx, relocating them to Spain’s mainland and islands.
Pérez Triano said those being transferred are primarily Sub-Saharan African nationals who already meet the legal requirements to leave the center.
Although he did not provide an exact figure, he said approximately 50 people have already been relocated. The transfers are intended to ease overcrowding at the CETI, which currently hosts more than 1,000 residents, despite having an official capacity of 512 places.
The additional space will help accommodate the most vulnerable migrants still living on the streets, as well as people arriving from countries whose nationals are more likely to qualify for international protection.
Pérez Triano also warned that if Spain’s autonomous communities refuse to receive unaccompanied migrant minors from Ceuta, the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Minors would be compelled to intervene on its own initiative.
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