On August 11, 2026, the president of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Juan Vivas, proposed building a detention center to hold up to 11,000 migrants before their deportation. The announcement was made during a press conference in Ceuta, where Vivas argued that the measure is necessary to manage the increasing number of irregular arrivals and to ensure orderly deportations.
The proposal has drawn immediate criticism from human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and the Spanish Commission for Refugee Assistance (CEAR), which argue that mass detention violates international law and the rights of asylum seekers. They emphasize that many migrants flee conflict or persecution and should have access to fair asylum procedures.
The Spanish central government has not yet commented on the proposal, but legal experts note that the construction of such a facility would require significant funding and legal changes, as current immigration law prioritizes individual assessment over mass detention. The European Union has also been monitoring the situation, as Ceuta and Melilla are external borders of the Schengen area.
Ceuta has experienced periodic spikes in migrant arrivals, often leading to overcrowding in existing facilities. However, the proposed capacity of 11,000 would be unprecedented, as the current temporary reception center holds only a few hundred people. The plan is still in its early stages and would require approval from the Spanish parliament.
