Juan Jesús Vivas, president of the autonomous city of Ceuta and a member of the Partido Popular, has given the central government 30 days to address the ongoing crisis. He warned that he would seek intervention from Spain’s highest judicial authorities if there is no progress. Vivas accused Madrid of inaction over the situation that followed the mass arrivals of migrants on 30 and 31 July 2026.
Speaking after an extraordinary session of Ceuta’s government, Vivas accused the executive led by Pedro Sánchez of playing down the crisis in early August and failing to introduce effective measures since. He suggested the government’s reluctance to restore normality could be intentional, and said Ceuta was experiencing what he called a “state of exception.” He insisted the city would not surrender its rights or responsibilities. Antena 3 reported that Vivas intended to challenge what he described as state “inactivity” before Spain’s Supreme Court. He also expressed “full confidence in justice” to clarify what happened at the border on 30 and 31 July.
If the government fails to act, Vivas said he intends to approach the president of the Supreme Court and the head of the Constitutional Court. He also plans to appeal to other state institutions, including the Cortes Generales, regional governments, the federation of municipalities and European bodies. Vivas said the central government is only one part of the state, and that Ceuta will keep seeking support through all available channels.
The dispute intensified after Mónica García, Minister of Health, called on Ceuta’s authorities to provide locations to house migrants. Vivas accused García of shifting blame and acting inappropriately, arguing that Ceuta has always shown solidarity regardless of migrants’ origins. He rejected the suggestion that the city needed lessons in humanity, insisting that local residents’ rights must also be considered.
Officials within Ceuta’s administration say the central government has proposed several sites for migrant accommodation. The only outright refusal concerns the Fábrica de Harinas, a Defense Ministry property in a central area, which was rejected because of neighborhood opposition. Other suggested locations, including areas near El Trampolín and El Príncipe, have not faced the same resistance. Vivas stressed the need to balance migrants’ needs with those of Ceuta’s residents, and questioned whether local people’s rights were being overlooked in the debate.
The pressure on the city’s child-protection system shows the scale of the dispute. In an update reported by RTVE and Europa Press on 20 October, Inclusion, Social Security and Migration Minister Elma Saiz said 3,331 minors were being cared for in Ceuta’s autonomous protection system. By 21 October, 288 had been moved elsewhere: 107 through family reunification and 181 to other autonomous communities under Article 35 of Spain’s Immigration Law. Ceuta’s ordinary protection capacity was reported as 29 minors, a stark contrast with the thousands being supported locally.
The same government update said 12,705 migrants had returned from Ceuta to Morocco since 10 August, following the July arrivals. Saiz reported that 12,142 returns were voluntary and 536 were expulsions. The return figures and transfers of minors describe separate parts of the government’s response. The relocation of children also reflects how responsibility is divided among Ceuta, the central government and Spain’s autonomous communities. With 3,331 minors still recorded in the local protection system, the transfers had not eased the pressure on the city.
Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the North African coast, has long faced challenges related to migration and border management. Its strategic position makes it a focal point for migration flows from Africa to Europe, often creating political tension between local and national authorities. The current dispute reflects ongoing friction over responsibility and resources, as well as the balance between humanitarian obligations and local concerns. As the 30-day deadline approaches, the outcome may set a precedent for handling similar crises in Spain’s autonomous regions.
