Church in Spain grapples with sudden illegal arrival of 50,000 migrants

The Diocese of Cádiz and Ceuta is mobilizing resources to address the needs of the migrants, including by designating all money from this weekendʼs collection to the effort.

The Catholic Church is responding to the illegal arrival within the span of just a few hours of nearly 50,000 migrants in the Spanish city of Ceuta, located on the North African coast, by mobilizing resources for the diocesan migrant ministry.

The Diocese of Cádiz and Ceuta, led by Apostolic Administrator Ramón Valdivia (auxiliary bishop of Seville), expressed in a statement its “deep concern regarding the gravity of the events and the particular vulnerability of so many people affected by this situation.”

The diocese reiterated its readiness “to collaborate with civil institutions and competent bodies” to address “any needs that may arise.”

In support of this commitment, the diocese has directed that the entirety of the collections taken up this weekend in Ceutaʼs parishes be allocated to the diocesan migrant ministry in order to channel aid through the San Antonio Migrant Care Center.

“We thank the faithful and all people of goodwill in advance for their generosity, and we invite Christian communities to pray earnestly for those who are suffering, for those responsible for managing this situation, and for all who work to build paths of peace, justice, and hope,” the statement concludes.

On social media the bishops’ Commission for Social Pastoral Care and Human Promotion of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference called for “measures addressing this situation to be taken within the framework of current law, with respect for human dignity, and avoiding manipulation for partisan ends.”

Court ruling that precipitated the surge

Migrants are entering Spanish territory by swimming around the Tarajal breakwater, a border structure that extends into the sea located south of the autonomous city of Ceuta continuing the border fence that separates the Spanish town from Moroccan territory on land. The crossing, which can sometimes last for hours, is fraught with danger; Spanish authorities have already reported the recovery of more than 40 bodies.

On June 29, Spain’s Supreme Court issued a ruling rejecting the practice of “hot returns” (summary expulsions) applied to migrants intercepted at sea who attempt to swim into the Spanish territories of Ceuta and Melilla in Africa.

The high court determined that this method of illegal entry into the country takes place without getting over any border barrier as occurs when scaling a border fence and therefore the Law on Immigration’s Tenth Additional Provision cannot be applied.

The referenced section of the regulation stipulates that foreign nationals detected at the border line of demarcation of the territory of Ceuta or Melilla while attempting to get over a border barrier in order to enter illegally “may be turned back to prevent their illegal entry into Spain.”

The Supreme Court ruling further stated that “nothing would prevent” the application of this provision for automatic return “were containment measures to be established at sea to protect the border line.”

Calls to exclude Spain from Europeʼs Schengen Area

The president of the autonomous city of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, requested that the central government on the Spanish mainland declare a national emergency so that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez could assume unified command of the situation and adopt “decisive” measures.

However, the request was rejected, even though the current situation involves a volume of arrivals many times greater than the last migratory wave the city experienced in 2021 when a group of around 12,000 people arrived, a figure nearly four times smaller.

The vulnerability of the borders of Spain’s African territories has led Italy and Finland to back a proposal to exclude Spain from the Schengen Area, the zone of free movement for people that comprises 29 European countries.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.