Spanish prosecutors have reported 23 sexual assaults, including nine against children, in Ceuta since a mass influx of migrants entered the Spanish exclave from Morocco at the end of July, amounting to almost one case a day. Ceuta's chief prosecutor, Silvia Rojas, said migrant girls were "particularly vulnerable because of their irregular status", and many victims did not report attacks out of fear. The disclosure deepens a crisis for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has faced unrest, violence and political criticism over the government's handling of the situation.

At least 72,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta on 30–31 July, and while most have since returned to Morocco, an estimated 5,000 remain, including up to 1,600 children. Suspected attackers include four Moroccans, three Spaniards and a Belgian. Sánchez has convened a second national security meeting in a week, and the cabinet has approved a multi-million euro aid package, while King Felipe VI is expected to visit "when conditions allow" — a symbolically sensitive move given Morocco's territorial claims over Ceuta and Melilla. Local leaders and business figures have criticised the government for lacking a clear plan, while Sánchez has pointed to social media disinformation, rather than Moroccan authorities, as fuelling the crisis.