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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to worry about large numbers of undocumented men arriving in Spain?

1000 replies

MaturingCheeseball · 30/07/2026 17:34

Thousands of young men from Morocco and beyond swimming to Spain. Spain obviously has encouraged the problem with their amnesty for existing migrants, but thousands more arriving with no means of support and undocumented is going to cause huge problems. Large numbers will no doubt be ultimately trying to reach the UK.

It’s harsh, but we cannot accept infinite numbers of men.

OP posts:
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32
ForRedPoet · 31/07/2026 12:20

The legal immigration of the past is completely different to the undocumented immigration of today. There was a want to be here, to assimilate and contribute with their families.
It was not hoards of young men arriving here illegally or passing through countless countries until they reached the UK. There was not such a clash of values and cultures.

The UK has always welcomed immigrants and indeed has been enriched by them. But it is beyond fathomable how seriously, how can anyone say this illegal immigration is good and sustainable?? Not just for the UK, but Europe as well.

IcedCoffee26 · 31/07/2026 12:21

localnotail · 31/07/2026 12:14

I'm actually a Guardian reader, if you know what I mean.

Allowing people to bypass legal routes and then rewarding them for it will encourage others to do the same.

The regularizacion extraordinaria
process is done. The window is closed - it was from April 16 through June 30th 2026. It will not open again likely for years. The last one before this was in 2005.

Again. Important to have all information about a process before having a strong opinion about it.

TonTonMacoute · 31/07/2026 12:23

DontBuyAnotherBook · 31/07/2026 12:16

That many on the same day seems strange don't you think?

But it's not necessarily planned by the Moroccan government. Maybe it's just the build up of demand has made it possible to overwhelm the border. Morocco is an economic basket case, there are no jobs, these are economic migrants. I'm sure Morocco is not unhappy to see them go.

localnotail · 31/07/2026 12:23

IcedCoffee26 · 31/07/2026 12:18

https://elpais.com/espana/2026-07-31/ultima-hora-de-la-entrada-de-inmigrantes-a-ceuta-en-directo.html

Try reading Spanish news before you accuse Sanchéz of "doing nothing" and panicking.

Throughout this thread my point has been that you in the UK don't need to worry.

Anyone with basic knowledge of geography knows where Ceuta is, and understands that getting into Ceuta from Marruecos is a rather different story than getting onto the Iberian peninsula.

We have regulated immigration policy here which is humane. There is not a feeling amongst every migrant on earth that the ultimate goal is to reach the UK. I highlighted reasons why.

Spain will process and deal with the Ceuta matter correctly and humanely.

Spain will process and deal with the Ceuta matter correctly and humanely

Well good luck with that. Nearly half of million unknown and probably undocumented people who are free to join any underground criminal network as there are literally no information on who they are, where they are planning to go and where they are going to live. Let's hope they will stay in Spain...

LakieLady · 31/07/2026 12:30

localnotail · 31/07/2026 10:21

I think racists generally don't differentiate between "new" and "old" immigrants.

You're dead right. That friend has been racially abused on many occasions, and told to "Fuck off back home".

He used to reply "What, to Godalming?", but last time he did that he was quite badly assaulted, so he's a bit more circumspect now.

Hollyhobbi · 31/07/2026 12:32

noddysyellowhat · 30/07/2026 20:31

And it was a deterrent.
Loads of illegals started heading for Southern Ireland. (Either via the ferry from Holyhead or through the NI Border)

It’s not Southern Ireland. It’s just Ireland or the Republic of Ireland. And we’re very worried too about all these young, bored, misogynistic men arriving by the bus or plane load conveniently losing their passport/any identifying documents!

LakieLady · 31/07/2026 12:34

OneStarAwake · 31/07/2026 10:28

🤣 you have surpassed yourself with this. Left wing people by and large don't like dogs because one woman you encounter shies away from your beloved pooch?

That made me lol.

I'm a lifelong leftie and have shared my home with a dog or two for most of my life.

Paganpentacle · 31/07/2026 12:35

LuckyHazelFox · 31/07/2026 11:43

Per capita is racist.

How?

Shakeoffyourchains · 31/07/2026 12:35

EppingTrain · 31/07/2026 12:11

Plenty of data across multiple of our friends in the EU

You'll have no trouble naming some then...

inamarina · 31/07/2026 12:38

noddysyellowhat · 31/07/2026 11:59

@inamarina and a lack of cooperation from recipient countries.

There's your answer right there ^ they want to offload their dross onto others.

There was a prominent case in Germany where the recipient country (Bulgaria) had even agreed, but the asylum seeker in question, a 26-year-old Syrian, simply absconded on the day when German authorities were going to pick him up from his accommodation.

Because Germany failed to find him and deport him within the 6-month legal window required by the Dublin rules, the legal responsibility to process his asylum claim officially defaulted back to Germany.

The asylum seeker simply moved to a different German asylum accommodation, his deportation order expired, and he remained in the country.

In 2024, he carried out a deadly mass stabbing in German city of Solingen.

HRTQueen · 31/07/2026 12:41

Of course its a concern

this is in one day, governments have lost control over the issue and just at a loss on how to deal with it

things will not improve until all countries work together not work only in their best interests

IcedCoffee26 · 31/07/2026 12:42

localnotail · 31/07/2026 12:23

Spain will process and deal with the Ceuta matter correctly and humanely

Well good luck with that. Nearly half of million unknown and probably undocumented people who are free to join any underground criminal network as there are literally no information on who they are, where they are planning to go and where they are going to live. Let's hope they will stay in Spain...

Half a million? It's 49.000

No need to add a zero.

localnotail · 31/07/2026 12:43

IcedCoffee26 · 31/07/2026 12:42

Half a million? It's 49.000

No need to add a zero.

Half a million combined over recent period.

50k is still a lot.

LakieLady · 31/07/2026 12:43

LuckyHazelFox · 31/07/2026 11:11

Well all the time we have the do gooders calling us racist - the Southport killer has assaulted 3 prison staff. I'm sure there will be a thread about it soon. These choir boys manage to fool the gullible. What has it got to do with immigration I hear a leftie ask. Let's start with culture.

He's been moved to a secure psychiatric hospital, so presumably he's suffering from mental illness. And he's UK born, so not an immigrant.

IcedCoffee26 · 31/07/2026 12:47

localnotail · 31/07/2026 12:43

Half a million combined over recent period.

50k is still a lot.

Are you talking about the regularizacion? Where is your half a million figure from?

TonTonMacoute · 31/07/2026 12:51

These people may technically be in Spain, but they are all still in Africa.

IMO Spain should insist they all return and that no one who has broken through the border in this way has a hope of having an asylum claim granted.

Apparently Meloni is threatening to close the Italian border with the rest of Europe, in breach of Schengen.

moonraker0 · 31/07/2026 12:55

LuckyHazelFox · 31/07/2026 11:43

Per capita is racist.

Everything is accused of being racist these days and it makes it meaningless because people just roll their eyes at yet another ridiculous accusation. If you want to ignore the per capita data and have no answer just ignore it but don’t falsely shout racism because you don’t like the facts.

ColourThief · 31/07/2026 13:06

Fupoffyagrasshole · 30/07/2026 18:13

literally don’t care

migrants aren’t the problem - billionaires are

The most sense in this whole thread, summed up in just two sentences 👏👏👏

parallhel · 31/07/2026 13:07

If this turns out to be any kind of co - ordinated action, then Melilla is probably next.

EmeraldShamrock000 · 31/07/2026 13:08

ColourThief · 31/07/2026 13:06

The most sense in this whole thread, summed up in just two sentences 👏👏👏

In your opinion.
It is possible to be concerned about two things at one time.
I thought it was a pointless post, we all have our opinions.

wombat1a · 31/07/2026 13:13

How do you stop the small boats - well you sink them. However if you sink the boats then people die and thats a "bad thing".

Can you tow the boats back? well a) how do you get a tow rope onto a small boat when the hosts don't want it and b) where do you tow it too? I am sure the French won't be happy with us invading their territorial waters towing small boats behind our boats.

ChirpyUmberBiscuit · 31/07/2026 13:13

MaturingCheeseball · 30/07/2026 17:34

Thousands of young men from Morocco and beyond swimming to Spain. Spain obviously has encouraged the problem with their amnesty for existing migrants, but thousands more arriving with no means of support and undocumented is going to cause huge problems. Large numbers will no doubt be ultimately trying to reach the UK.

It’s harsh, but we cannot accept infinite numbers of men.

It's a complex issue with no easy answers. On one hand, local infrastructure and processing centers in border countries get overwhelmed very quickly. On the other hand, simple border enforcement doesn't address the push factors driving people across the Mediterranean. Europe needs a unified, legal migration route rather than relying on reactive measures.

mrshoho · 31/07/2026 13:13

parallhel · 31/07/2026 13:07

If this turns out to be any kind of co - ordinated action, then Melilla is probably next.

There has been more movement there too but obviously not on those scale.

The bbc has again revised the figures and now reporting 60000 have crossed into Ceuta. The equivalent of 70% of the previous total estimated population. 34 deaths reported too.

LuckyHazelFox · 31/07/2026 13:19

moonraker0 · 31/07/2026 12:55

Everything is accused of being racist these days and it makes it meaningless because people just roll their eyes at yet another ridiculous accusation. If you want to ignore the per capita data and have no answer just ignore it but don’t falsely shout racism because you don’t like the facts.

It was sarcasm! I agree with you.

LuckyHazelFox · 31/07/2026 13:21

ChirpyUmberBiscuit · 31/07/2026 13:13

It's a complex issue with no easy answers. On one hand, local infrastructure and processing centers in border countries get overwhelmed very quickly. On the other hand, simple border enforcement doesn't address the push factors driving people across the Mediterranean. Europe needs a unified, legal migration route rather than relying on reactive measures.

What Europe needs right now, is a total halt on any kind of migration. It's out of control.

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