Transnational Thursday is a thread for people to discuss international news, foreign policy or international relations history. Feel free as well to drop in with coverage of countries you’re interested in, talk about ongoing dynamics like the wars in Israel or Ukraine, or even just whatever you’re reading.
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Ferrying 60 thousand people would take a while I imagine? Do they have any checkpoints at the entrance/exit? Do they even have money to pay for the tickets, or ferry company is going to transit them for free?
Also, doesn't seem to be happening: https://cadenaser.com/andalucia/2026/07/31/la-crisis-migratoria-de-ceuta-no-afecta-a-la-linea-maritima-con-algeciras-radio-algeciras/ (they could be lying of course but I think somebody would notice tens of thousands of people suddenly showing up in Algeciras?)
Sure.
Once in Ceuta, you're already on the territory of Spain, unless this is some weird special case, there are no checkpoints while travelling inside the country, or even to anywhere within the EU.
Ferry tickets aren't that expensive, and even Syrian refugees from 2015 had significant amounts (to the tune of $10K) that they'd pay to human smugglers.
Sure, it might not pan out this way, but the plan is far from crazy.
I also just thought of another obvious play - cross the border, and cry "asylum". It will take years before they kick you out, and they might even relocate you to the mainland on their own dime.
Yes, claiming asylum is obvious, but in this case is not necessary as asylum claim protects one from deportation, and nobody seems to want to deport them now. They basically are roaming free, at least within Ceuta, but that's not a very good long term plan - they would need to have food, shelter, facilities, sources of income, etc.
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