Geography and History
The EU’s only land borders with which continent are Ceuta and Melilla?
Africa
How tall are the two parallel fences at the Ceuta border today?
6 metres
What do we call a person who arrives in a country other than their own with the intention of settling there?
An immigrant
How long is the containment barrier Spain started at the Tarajal breakwater on 1 August?
500 metres
Unemployment in Ceuta and Melilla is more than how many times Spain’s average?
2,5 times
In what year did Portugal capture Ceuta?
1415
In which year did hundreds assault the Ceuta fence on 7 October?
2005
What do we call a person who, fearing persecution, is outside their country of origin seeking the destination’s protection?
A refugee
Which country suspended its Schengen arrangements with Spain after the 2026 crisis?
Italy
About how many places did Ceuta’s reception centre (CETI) have before 30 July?
About 500
Which union ended in 1640, leaving Ceuta with Spain?
The Iberian Union
In May 2021, about how many hours did it take for thousands of people to enter Ceuta?
About 36 hours
Which of these countries has the most immigrants in Spain: Morocco, Algeria or Guinea-Conakry?
Under the EU Pact, how long does border screening take, and how long is the fast border procedure?
7 days and 12 weeks
How many minors were registered in Ceuta by 1 September?
1129
About how far is Ceuta from the Iberian Peninsula, and how far is Melilla?
Ceuta about 17 km, Melilla about 150 km
In the June 2022 Melilla tragedy, how many deaths did Caminando Fronteras report?
37 (the main count said 23; the Moroccan Association for Human Rights said 29)
What is Spain’s rank on the Human Development Index, and what is Morocco’s?
Spain 23rd, Morocco 123rd
What did the Spanish government declare on 25 August?
A “Situation of Interest for National Security”
Which party, whose 7 votes the government needs, won’t support a mandatory distribution of minors unless Catalonia is excluded?
Junta
What does Morocco claim about both cities, and what is the Spanish position?
Morocco claims they are occupied land. Spain rejects the claim and considers them Spanish autonomous cities
How many people crossed into Ceuta on 30-31 July 2026, and how did most of them cross?
More than 70,000 (Spain’s final estimate was about 72,000), mostly by swimming around the breakwater
Name three factors behind the instability of the Sahel.
Jihadist insurgencies, military coups, and food insecurity linked to climate (floods and droughts)
In which case did the European Court of Human Rights find no violation in 2020, and what was it about?
N.D. and N.T. v. Spain: two men returned immediately after climbing the Melilla fence in 2014
Who wrote our reference article, and what policy did the author call for instead of emergency reactions?
Ávila Pérez (2025), a lasting state policy