The cities of Melilla and Ceuta are extraordinary examples of how the people of Iberia have built modern, thriving cities on the North African coast. Today, these two cities share a special bond with each other as the only two Hispanophone cities and the only two democracies in all of North Africa. As such, the recent attacks on the sovereignty and security of Ceuta are felt deeply in Melilla too, not least because Melilla itself has been subject to similar—albeit somewhat smaller—Moroccan border assaults.

The inability of the government in Madrid to properly secure the borders of Ceuta and Melilla against an attempted invasion is a fundamental failure in the duty of care it owes to the Spanish people in Ceuta and Melilla. Reports that there was clear warning that an invasion from Morocco was being orchestrated days before said incursion makes it an even more intolerable failure on the part of PM Sanchez and his cabinet.

These types of border incursions are an attack on Ceuta and Melilla and the way of life that has been enjoyed and—up until now—protected in these cities for hundreds of years. It is simply unacceptable that women were forced to remain at home for fear of being attacked, robbed, or otherwise harassed by roving gangs of youth from Morocco who forced their way onto the streets of Ceuta and Melilla. It is worth noting that women who reported feeling unsafe included Spaniards, as well as tourists, and even members of Ceuta’s Sunni Muslim community who were not immune to the threat posed by their male compatriots from Morocco.

Of course, Ceuta and Melilla have long welcomed visitors. This includes European and British visitors, as well as daily commuters from Morocco entering the city for work. However, unrestricted and unrestrained incursions threaten the very cities that act as such magnets for tourism and employment.

To resolve this, elected representatives from Ceuta and Melilla must work alongside a functional central government to protect their cities against the illegal immigration threat. Illegitimate immigration practices including the facilitation of pathways to naturalisation by corrupt parties (including the CPM, amongst others) to bolster electoral support must also be addressed. Beneficiaries of these corrupt practices must have their ill-gotten status nullified and be returned to their lawful place of residence in order to right this historic wrong against the Spanish people.

Security forces must also be adequately equipped and permitted to act with a proper degree of personal discretion. Without this, they cannot be expected to properly fulfill their primary function: the protection of the Spanish people and territory.

The tourism industry is especially hard hit when people feel that a place has become unsafe. If Melilla and Ceuta are to be able to continue to draw visitors, everything possible must be done to guarantee safety and security in these two great North African cities.

Released 3 August 2026