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King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain will visit Ceuta on Tuesday, marking their first official visit to the Spanish city in North Africa since 2007. The royal couple's visit aims to offer solidarity to Ceuta's residents, who are currently grappling with a protracted migration crisis that has strained relations with Morocco.

The crisis has resulted in an influx of migrants, with approximately 80,000 crossing Ceuta's border in July alone, leading to over 140 deaths. While many migrants returned quickly, thousands remain in Ceuta, causing social tension and becoming a political issue across Spain, where opposition parties may use the situation to challenge the progressive government in upcoming elections.

During their visit, the royal couple will meet with local officials, hold a public appearance in a central square, and visit a school in a multicultural environment. They will also pay respects at a cemetery for the migrants who died during the attempted crossings on July 30 and 31. The visit comes amid allegations of abuse and mistreatment by Spanish soldiers, as detailed in an Amnesty International report.

While Ceuta has historically been a place of religious coexistence, the migration crisis has exposed underlying Christian-Muslim tensions within the city.

Ceuta and its neighboring North African exclave, Melilla, serve as key stepping stones for migrants seeking entry into mainland Europe. Morocco disputes Spain's sovereignty over the territories, and any response from Rabat to the royal visit will be closely monitored by diplomatic observers in Spain. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has defended Morocco's role in mitigating the crisis, but many Spaniards remain skeptical about Rabat's efforts to curb the mass crossings.