Lorraine Williamson
Spain’s government has approved an emergency package worth €309 million for Ceuta, as the autonomous city continues to deal with the consequences of the mass migrant arrivals at the end of July.
The Council of Ministers approved the measures on Tuesday, and they will be deployed during the remaining four months of 2026. An additional €50 million in state-backed guarantees will also be made available to support private-sector financing.
First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said the €309 million represents approximately 16% of Ceuta’s annual GDP, describing the scale of the intervention as a response to the exceptional circumstances facing the city.
The package is intended to reinforce humanitarian assistance, care for unaccompanied minors, security and essential public services, while providing direct support to businesses and workers affected by the disruption.
The government says it will continue committing resources until normality has been restored in the autonomous city.
€118 million for humanitarian care and minors
The largest individual area of spending is humanitarian assistance and the reception of migrants, with €118 million allocated.
Of that, €63.6 million is earmarked specifically for unaccompanied migrant children, while €53.4 million will support accommodation and basic humanitarian assistance for migrants.
The government also approved a new extraordinary credit of approximately €63 million for migrant children on Tuesday, following the €25 million allocation approved last week. The funding can cover accommodation as well as legal assistance and psychosocial, educational and healthcare support.
Interior authorities have so far registered 1,612 unaccompanied migrant children in Ceuta. Of those, 1,129 were processed following the mass arrivals of 30 and 31 July, while around 500 had arrived previously.
Territorial Policy Minister Ángel Víctor Torres acknowledged on Tuesday that authorities cannot yet provide an exact figure for the number of children in Ceuta who remain unidentified or unregistered.
€90 million for security
More than €90 million of the package will be used to reinforce security and the state response.
Around €74 million is allocated to the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces for personnel, logistics and maintenance. Another €8 million will fund exceptional performance payments for the Guardia Civil, while €7.1 million is allocated to the Policía Nacional.
Ceuta has been under a formal situation of interest for national security since late August following the unprecedented pressure created by the irregular arrivals of 30 and 31 July.
The government said the situation had affected border control and identification capacity as well as humanitarian assistance, child protection, security, transport and other public services.
A further €21 million from Tuesday’s package will support essential services including healthcare, education, justice and water supplies.
Direct payments for businesses and self-employed workers
The measures extend well beyond the immediate humanitarian response.
Around €80 million is being directed towards Ceuta’s businesses and workers, including €36.6 million in direct financial assistance.
Approximately 2,600 self-employed workers and 1,400 businesses will be eligible to apply. Self-employed workers will be able to receive €5,000, while businesses can receive between €10,000 and €150,000, depending on turnover.
Applications are expected to open through Spain’s Tax Agency on 14 September, with the government aiming to begin payments during October.
Another €14 million will be used to support small businesses and tourism, including measures administered through the Chamber of Commerce.
One initiative will introduce a consumer incentive under which the state contributes €25 towards every €100 spent. The customer would therefore pay €75 while the participating business receives the full €100.
Transport incentives for non-residents and additional tourism and commercial promotion are also planned.
ERTE support and tax measures
Businesses whose activity has been interrupted will also be able to apply for an ERTE temporary employment scheme with 100% exemption from employer social security contributions.
Extraordinary support for cessation of activity and the possibility of postponing social security payments at a reduced rate are also included.
Some measures will go beyond the immediate Ceuta emergency and become permanent in both Ceuta and Melilla.
The employment incentive for indefinite contracts, or replacement contracts covering temporary incapacity, will increase from 50% to 75%. Corporation tax allowances for resident companies will rise from 50% to 60%.
There will also be improved deductions for certain expenses claimed by self-employed workers.
Ceuta says money alone will not solve the crisis
The announcement has not ended disagreements between Madrid and the Ceuta government over how the continuing situation should be handled.
Ceuta’s regional government responded on Tuesday by saying financial support would not in itself restore normality while thousands of migrants remained in the city.
The local administration estimates that between 8,000 and 9,000 migrants remain in Ceuta and continues to call for their return or transfer away from the autonomous city.
Meanwhile, the national government is taking steps to accelerate asylum and child-protection procedures. The number of duty lawyers dealing with cases is due to increase from three to 18, while 50 additional police officers are being assigned specifically to the asylum office.
Longer-term support for Ceuta and Melilla
Alongside the immediate €309 million intervention, Madrid has announced longer-term structural measures covering both Ceuta and Melilla.
The combined package is expected to mobilise €507.5 million through to 2031, including permanent employment and tax incentives and additional support for the Port of Ceuta.
The scale of Tuesday’s announcement marks a new stage in the government response to the crisis that began with the mass crossings at the end of July. Attention is now likely to turn to how quickly the money reaches Ceuta, whether pressure on accommodation and public services begins to ease, and how authorities deal with the thousands of people who remain in the city.