Izquierda Unida (IU) has submitted seven questions in Congress about the migration crisis in Ceuta, adding pressure on the Spanish government. The mass entry from Morocco took place on July 30 and 31, 2026. Estimates of the number of people who crossed ranged from more than 70,000 to about 80,000; no official total has been settled. The Spanish Interior Ministry’s regular immigration statistics did not include figures for those two days while the data were being processed. Most arrivals reportedly returned to Morocco soon afterward, while thousands remained in Ceuta, including unaccompanied minors and asylum seekers. Their presence has kept accommodation and local services under pressure.
Addressed primarily to the Ministry of Defence, IU’s questions ask whether the government plans to overhaul arms procurement to reduce reliance on US and Israeli suppliers. The party also seeks details on possible support for domestic cybersecurity firms as an alternative to companies such as Palantir Technologies, a US-based software and artificial-intelligence provider with defense ties. IU, part of the Sumar coalition, further asks whether the government intends to review the location of strategic technological infrastructure linked to NATO and pursue a more autonomous approach to cybersecurity. These are questions and concerns raised by the party, not announced government policy.
IU frames the crisis as part of a broader pattern of “hybrid warfare,” in which pressure over migration and diplomacy is paired with digital tactics, all short of open military conflict. The party points to what it calls a “strategic triangle” linking Morocco with the United States and Israel, and says Morocco has refined asymmetric tactics to advance its territorial ambitions. IU says the US accounts for 60% of Morocco’s defense imports and cites reports by American lawmakers describing Ceuta and Melilla as Moroccan territories. These claims form part of IU’s argument about risks to Spain and the EU. Addressing the wider border challenge, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights said the episode “put the balance between protecting fundamental rights and safeguarding the EU’s external borders to the test.”
IU also highlights Israel’s role, saying it provides Morocco with advanced missile-defense systems and arguing that this deepens Spain’s reliance on non-European technology. The party warns of vulnerabilities amid alleged cyberespionage, including the use of Pegasus software against Spanish government communications. It also criticizes international forums, including the United Nations, where Ceuta and Melilla have been described as “anachronistic colonial enclaves.”
During the July crisis, IU accused Moroccan authorities of maintaining “calculated ambiguity” as people attempted to cross the border, exploiting what the party calls a “grey zone” of intense pressure short of open warfare. The government has 30 days to respond to the parliamentary questions, though written replies can take longer. Seven ministers are scheduled to appear before parliamentary committees to address the Ceuta situation.
The immediate border emergency has since become a dispute over reception capacity and how returns and protection claims are handled. The Spanish government reported that 12,705 people had returned from Ceuta to Morocco since August 10. It also reported 3,331 minors in the city’s child-protection system, with 107 transferred to mainland Spain for family reunification and 181 relocated to other autonomous communities under Article 35 of Spain’s Immigration Law. The government also reported 7,477 places in temporary accommodation resources. Separately, October reporting put the number of migrants still in Ceuta at about 15,000, including around 3,300 minors.
The Government of Ceuta said it would bring a contentious-administrative case before Spain’s Supreme Court, alleging that the basic administration had failed to provide enough personnel and material resources to process return, expulsion and international-protection procedures for adults who entered on July 30 and 31. The dispute concerns the division of responsibilities between Ceuta and Madrid. The reported action is a filing and an allegation by the city authorities, not a court ruling.
This development follows a series of political confrontations over the Ceuta crisis, with earlier debates focusing on the government’s response and calls for accountability. Recent coverage has highlighted mounting pressure from police unions and EU officials demanding faster expulsions and more resources in Ceuta.
Ceuta and Melilla, Spain’s two autonomous cities on the North African coast, have long been flashpoints in migration and diplomatic disputes. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights has warned of serious risks to Fundamental Rights at the bloc’s external borders. The current parliamentary scrutiny so extends beyond defense procurement: it also concerns border management and humanitarian needs, alongside asylum processing, returns and digital sovereignty. The government’s response may shape future policy on defense, cybersecurity and international alliances.
