A senior National Security official was abruptly dismissed after publishing an alert on 49,000 migrants entering Ceuta. The alert, quickly deleted, marked the first official acknowledgment of the crisis. No new updates have appeared since.
The Spanish government has removed the head of communications at the Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DSN) following the publication of an alert detailing the irregular entry of 49,000 migrants into Ceuta. The dismissal, which took place last Friday via a phone call while the official was on holiday, was both immediate and unusual in its abruptness. The alert, citing data from the Ministry of the Interior, was posted on the DSN website and then deleted within hours, making it the first official confirmation of the scale of the migrant influx in the North African city.
The now-removed official, who had managed the DSN website for years and previously worked at the Ministry of Defence, was left without a new assignment and faces a significant reduction in salary. Typically, such departures are negotiated, but in this case, the process was expedited and left the official in a state of 'available without destination.' Since her removal on the 31st, the DSN website has not published any further news updates.
The deleted alert described how, in just 24 hours, more than 49,000 migrants had entered Ceuta through the breakwater and Tarajal beach, marking the largest migration crisis in the city since May 2021. The message also noted that Moroccan security forces had begun using riot control measures to disperse crowds gathering in the nearby city of Castillejos, as reported by several media outlets. The figure of 49,000 was later surpassed, with estimates rising above 60,000.
This incident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Ceuta in managing large-scale arrivals. In recent years, the city has repeatedly struggled with sudden surges of migrants, often overwhelming local infrastructure and prompting urgent requests for support from Madrid. For example, emergency facilities were set up to accommodate hundreds of unaccompanied minors after a previous mass arrival. The current episode underscores the sensitivity of official communications on migration and the potential consequences for civil servants who disclose sensitive information.
Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the northern coast of Africa, has long been a focal point for migration from Morocco and other African countries. The city’s unique position makes it a frequent entry point for those seeking to reach Europe, and its border management remains a subject of political and social debate in Spain. The rapid removal of the DSN official signals the government’s intent to tightly control the narrative around migration figures and crisis management, especially as the situation in Ceuta continues to evolve.
