Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia visit Ceuta

Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia visit Ceuta to show solidarity with residents.

The full report

Spain's King Felipe VI and his wife Queen Letizia have arrived in Ceuta, a Spanish exclave in North Africa, for their first-ever visit to the region. The royal couple's trip marks the first royal visit to Ceuta and Spain's other exclave in the area, Melilla, since Felipe's father Juan Carlos I toured the cities in 2007.

The visit comes amid a major incident at the border with Morocco over the summer, where some 70,000 refugees rushed the border fence with Spain, resulting in the deaths of over 140 people. The incident threw the city of some 84,000 residents into the international spotlight, with calls from right-wing governments within the European Union to suspend the Schengen free movement agreement with Spain.

However, it soon became clear that most of the refugees were quickly turned back to Morocco, and because of Ceuta's remote location, none moved on to mainland Europe except a group of at-risk children. Locals have complained that national officials did little to help with at least 10,000 migrants still in the city, and the alleged human traffickers trying to capitalize on the situation.

The migrants who have been unable to return to Morocco have accused Spanish police of brutality and other abuses. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has accused organized groups stemming from Russia and Israel for spreading misinformation regarding alleged changes in Spain's immigration rules.

The incident has also exposed diplomatic tensions between Spain and Morocco. Morocco does not recognize Madrid's claim to Ceuta, which has been under Spanish control for centuries. It remains to be seen how Rabat will react to Felipe's trip.