Sánchez Announces King Felipe VI's Visit to Ceuta and Melilla
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told parliament King Felipe VI will visit Ceuta and Melilla in the coming weeks, his first trip to the cities since becoming king.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Thursday, September 3, 2026, before the Congress of Deputies that King Felipe VI will visit the cities of Ceuta and Melilla "in the coming weeks," saying the trip would reflect "the state's absolute commitment" to the two cities. The announcement came during a parliamentary session dedicated to the migration crisis at the Ceuta border.
First Visit Since Becoming King in 2014
This will be Felipe VI's first official visit to Ceuta and Melilla since he was proclaimed King of Spain in 2014, according to Spanish media. Sánchez did not give an exact date, saying it would be set in coordination with the Zarzuela Royal Palace "when conditions allow." Sánchez had met with the king on Monday, August 31, 2026, after opposition parties called for the monarch to visit the two cities amid tensions linked to the recent arrival of migrants in Ceuta.
During the same session, Sánchez also addressed responsibility for the recent migration crisis at the Ceuta border, saying he had no evidence implicating Moroccan authorities in the latest influx of migrants toward the city.
Why It Matters for Morocco
Morocco does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla, viewing the two cities on its northern coast as occupied Moroccan territory, making the issue one of the most sensitive in Rabat-Madrid relations. Spain had once again rejected Morocco's historic claims to the two cities last month, in response to remarks by Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi.
The planned royal visit comes amid ongoing tensions over migration in Ceuta, making any official Spanish move toward the two cities — especially a royal visit, the first in over a decade — a matter that will be closely watched in Morocco, even as neither the date nor the official program for the trip has yet been set.
Spanish opposition parties had stepped up calls in recent weeks for Sánchez to push the king to visit Ceuta, arguing that the absence of such a visit for years raised questions about how the issue was being handled politically. The Zarzuela Royal Palace had issued no separate official comment on the timing of the visit as of this report.