Ceuta is preparing for a possible new influx of migrants from Morocco amid online calls for another border crossing during Morocco’s elections. Tensions have risen following protests by local residents, police deployments to disturbances at a migrant detention centre and shelter, and concerns about pressure on accommodation and public services.

Around 80,000 people entered Ceuta in late July by swimming from Morocco, although many have since left and approximately 15,000 are reportedly still there. Authorities recently struggled to move migrants from beaches to a tented camp designed for 1,700 people, while a temporary 500-metre barrier was damaged by strong winds. A healthcare workers’ union has called a strike, saying the system is over capacity, but Spain’s health minister disputes that assessment and says the hospital is operating at 53 per cent capacity.