One month of crisis with Morocco has already cost Ceuta 113 million euros

Ceuta’s businesses accumulated 33.04 million euros in direct losses between the start of the migration crisis and August 30, according to the city’s Chamber of Commerce. This estimate is based on data provided by 302 businesses, representing approximately 9% of the companies operating in the enclave.

These private-sector losses are compounded by 80 million euros in exceptional spending already borne by public administrations, reports El País. The combined total of the two items therefore brings the current bill to approximately 113 million euros.

The Spanish Finance Ministry forecasts that public spending alone could reach 153 million euros before the end of the year. This amount does not include the losses that businesses will continue to record if tourism and consumer spending do not recover.

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The crisis has particularly affected retail, hotels and restaurants. The cancellation of local patron-saint festivities is estimated to have wiped out 15.72 million euros in expected revenue. In the most exposed businesses, the decline in turnover has reached 70%.

Seven out of ten businesses surveyed have already reduced or reorganized their employees’ working hours. In bars and restaurants, this proportion exceeds 90%.

Ceuta’s tourism collapses

Tourist demand and bookings have fallen by approximately 90%. Hotels ended August with turnover half that usually recorded, while Baleària transported 30% fewer passengers than in August 2025.

The Chamber of Commerce also estimates the damage to Ceuta’s image at 170.1 million euros. This figure does not correspond to an immediate accounting loss: it measures, in particular, the deterioration of the city’s tourist appeal, investor confidence and economic reputation.

The shock is hitting an especially fragile economy. Ceuta has approximately 3,900 businesses, nearly half of which employ no workers. Its gross domestic product reached 1.923 billion euros in 2024, and its unemployment rate still exceeded 22% in the second quarter of 2026.

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To prevent a lasting collapse, the Spanish government has adopted a separate 309-million-euro plan. This package includes 90 million for security, 118 million for humanitarian assistance, 21 million for essential services and 80 million to support economic activity.

Madrid is notably planning 36.6 million euros in direct aid for businesses and the self-employed. Self-employed workers may receive 5,000 euros, while businesses may obtain between 10,000 and 150,000 euros depending on their turnover. Applications are due to open on September 14, and the first payments are scheduled for early October.