Albares and Bourita meet in New York to resolve Ceuta migrant return

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares meets his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, in New York on Tuesday to finalise an agreement for the return of the nearly 10,000 migrants still in Ceuta. The meeting, held during the UN General Assembly, arrives at a critical juncture: Morocco has guaranteed measures to prevent a new surge on Wednesday, the day of its legislative elections, but Spain still has 800 unaccompanied minor cases pending.

What happened

The Spanish government confirmed that Albares and Bourita will hold their first in-person meeting since July to address the return of migrants in Ceuta, where 10,000 people remain, including 3,000 minors (2,100 in state care and the rest on the street). Official estimates indicate that 6,000 adults are in designated facilities and between 3,000 and 4,000 are on the street, reflecting pressure on local infrastructure. The meeting takes place hours before Morocco holds its legislative elections, a scenario that has historically generated tensions on Europe’s southern border.

Morocco reportedly expressed in writing its willingness to accept the migrants, but Spanish diplomatic sources qualified that “when the time of truth comes, we will see,” introducing uncertainty about the actual fulfilment of commitments. Furthermore, Albares warned that he would ask the Moroccan press to dissuade potential migrants from attempting to enter Ceuta, noting that “they will not be able to stay in Spain.”

Why it matters

The situation in Ceuta is not just a local issue: Spain claims to have the highest migrant return rates in the EU, with 90% of those affected by the mass entry on 30 July returning to Morocco within 48 hours. However, the persistence of 10,000 migrants in September—including unaccompanied minors—questions the sustainability of this model and long-term management capacity. The New York meeting aims to avoid a new migration crisis just as Morocco holds elections, a scenario that in the past has coincided with attempts to exert pressure on the border.

The Spanish government insists that return is a priority, but the lack of Moroccan response to 800 minor cases—600 of them from the 2021 surge—reveals cracks in the process. Meanwhile, Moroccan authorities guaranteed to Albares that they would take measures to prevent a new mass entry on 23 September, although diplomatic sources noted that calls for a surge “are not taking hold,” but preventive mechanisms are being activated.

What the parties say

José Manuel Albares stated that the return of irregular migrants would be a key part of his conversation with Bourita, highlighting that Spain leads EU migration policy on returns. He declared that every time he raised the issue with his Moroccan counterpart, he conveyed that they would collaborate on everything. However, he acknowledged frustration over the lack of Moroccan response to the minor cases, pointing out that they do not reply; that is the reality.

For his part, Bourita guaranteed to Albares that Morocco would take measures to prevent a new mass entry on election day, according to Spanish sources. Albares also asked for collaboration from the Moroccan press to dissuade potential migrants, warning that they will not be able to stay in Spain.