Interior Ministry Data Show Ceuta Land Arrivals More Than Doubled in 2026, Even Excluding July Crossing

An Interior Ministry irregular-immigration bulletin covering January-August 2026 shows 4,076 land-based arrivals to Ceuta — up 102.3% (2,061 more) versus the same period in 2025 — explicitly excluding the roughly 72,000 people from the July 30-31 mass crossing, which the ministry has deferred recording pending completion of their triage. Melilla land arrivals rose 188.9% to 572, while the Canary Islands sea route fell 57.4% to 5,163; nationally, irregular entries by all routes fell 14.7% to 20,417, underscoring how sharply the Ceuta and Melilla land routes bucked the broader downward trend even before the one-off July surge is counted.