The Partido Popular (PP) has stepped up its criticism of the Spanish government after the recent crisis in Ceuta, where around 60,000 people entered the city through the Tarajal border. Other assessments described a larger influx: the Refugee Law Initiative at the University of London estimated that around 80,000 migrants and asylum seekers arrived between 29 and 31 July 2026, while a human-rights report put the number of crossings above 72,000 over 30 and 31 July. The estimates use different counting periods and measures, but all point to a sudden, large-scale emergency. The PP leadership has refrained from openly condemning Morocco, directing its strongest accusations instead at the executive led by Pedro Sánchez and questioning its preparedness and response.
During a visit to Ceuta, PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called the mass entry a “premeditated occupation,” but stopped short of blaming Rabat directly. The party’s secretary general, Miguel Tellado, took a similar line. At a press conference in Madrid, he argued that the government’s lack of self-respect undermines Spain’s standing with other countries. The PP leadership’s stance differs from that of Ceuta’s president, Juan Jesús Vivas, also a PP member, who called Morocco an unreliable partner in an interview with EL PAÍS. Vivas has also urged Madrid to tell Rabat that Spain is prepared to use whatever means are necessary to guarantee the border’s inviolability.
Rather than confront Morocco, the PP has focused on the government’s alleged failure to anticipate and manage the crisis. Tellado said responsibility for preventing such incidents lies with Madrid, and called for clarity on what went wrong in cooperation with Morocco. He also argued that effective international relations require reciprocity and consistent collaboration, not responses dictated by changing circumstances. Spain’s Foreign Ministry, responding to criticism of the authorities’ preparations, cited police patrols deployed to try to prevent the crossings and the bilateral structure with Morocco, which provides for the readmission of irregular migrants.
Speaking on Telecinco, Feijóo questioned whether Spain’s intelligence services knew about the planned mass entry and criticized the government’s handling of the situation. He suggested that in other European countries, such failures would have prompted resignations at the highest levels, including those of the prime minister and defense minister. The emergency also became a longer-running humanitarian and administrative challenge. Most arrivals later returned to Morocco, but reports said as many as 15,000 people remained in Ceuta, including unaccompanied minors and people seeking asylum. Formal camps were agreed on 17 August. A broader coordination mechanism covering humanitarian assistance and border management, as well as security, international cooperation and returns, was established on 25 August.
In parliament, the PP has mounted a coordinated offensive. In Congress, the party has submitted written questions to the government about the Ceuta crisis. In the Senate, where the PP holds an absolute majority, it has requested documents on irregular entries and Interior Ministry instructions following a Supreme Court ruling, along with protocols for handling such incidents. The party has not yet demanded urgent ministerial appearances during August.
The PP has also sought detailed data on daily entry attempts and fatalities during crossings, as well as information on government action against criminal networks involved in people smuggling and the extraordinary costs of managing the migration pressure. The government’s account of the response, presented by Inclusion, Social Security and Migration Minister and government spokesperson Elma Saiz, set out the scale of the operation: 11,375 surveillance and intelligence patrols had been conducted, and 5,237 officers deployed in Ceuta. The administration also reported creating 7,477 temporary accommodation places. The executive can ignore the PP’s requests, but they signal the party’s intention to keep the issue in the spotlight.
Figures presented by Saiz also show the continuing demands on child-protection and return systems. Between 10 August and 19 October, the government said, 12,705 people had returned to Morocco, including 12,142 voluntary returns and 536 expulsions. Ceuta’s regional protection system still had 3,331 minors in its care; 107 had been transferred to mainland Spain through family-reunification procedures, while 181 had been relocated to other autonomous communities under Article 35 of Spain’s Immigration Law. The government also reported sending 63 case files involving minors to Morocco. These measures were part of an ongoing operation that cleared informal gathering places at El Trampolín and El Tarajal beaches, in the Poblados Regulares district, at the Tarajal esplanade and warehouses, and around the Temporary Centre for Immigrants (CETI).
The PP is also demanding urgent reform of Spain’s immigration law so that the “border rejection” mechanism applies to maritime entries into Ceuta and Melilla. The call follows a recent Supreme Court decision prohibiting the immediate return of migrants intercepted at sea. The PP’s proposed legislation, registered in July, is intended to address this legal gap. The issue carries particular weight because the population remaining in Ceuta included people seeking asylum, alongside Moroccan nationals subject to return procedures. Reuters reported that more than 1,000 of those remaining were from sub-Saharan countries, whose nationals are granted asylum in Spain in more than 90% of cases, information from government statistics.
Tellado acknowledged that dialogue with the PSOE on the issue had stalled. He noted that the PP’s legislative initiative had not been debated despite two extraordinary parliamentary sessions, and criticized the government for what he described as neglecting its responsibilities during the summer recess.
Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the North African coast, has long been a focal point for migration from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa. The immediate crossings were followed by large-scale returns, while the continued presence of minors and asylum seekers kept pressure on accommodation and protection services, as well as local infrastructure. The Spanish government also reported that school attendance remained around 90%, that 83% of migrants housed in official facilities had been vaccinated, and that migrants occupied 20 of Ceuta’s 211 hospital beds. The crisis has renewed debate over Spain’s border management and its relationship with Morocco. The Supreme Court’s ruling on maritime returns has added legal uncertainty and prompted calls for legislative clarity. Spain’s migration policy and diplomatic ties with Morocco remain under scrutiny as the political standoff continues.
