Spanish police say about 70% of the Moroccans processed in Ceuta after July's mass entry have asked for asylum alleging persecution over their sexual orientation, according to El Periódico de Ceuta, which relays figures from National Police sources first published by the Spanish daily ABC. The number comes from unnamed police sources, not published statistics.
Migrants hold Spanish flags and signs calling for asylum as they gather in Ceuta, Spain, August 16, 2026. REUTERS/Maria Alejandra Cardona TPX IMAGES OF THE DAYThe paper says officers handling migration in the enclave see a shift from the economic or work reasons Moroccans usually gave, and that the claims have reshaped the caseload at the city's asylum office. Morocco-focused outlet Yabiladi reports that the sources suspect some applicants are being coached on asylum procedures as a way to stay in Spain.
Only five of those who arrived in the mass entries have so far won refugee status for persecution over homosexuality, El Periódico says. Spain's Office of Asylum and Refugees reviews each file individually, and the paper says investigators are still weighing whether each account is true.
Being gay is not enough by itself, Yabiladi notes: applicants must show a well-founded r
