Melchor León, a deputy in Ceuta’s Assembly and its second vice president, called this weekend for Miguel Ángel Pérez Triano to resign as Government Delegate and local PSOE leader. León made the demand publicly on social media, exposing a rare split within the Socialist Party as the city faces mounting pressure from a surge in irregular migration. He was among the first local political figures to call for Pérez Triano’s resignation. Pérez Triano had been designated the PSOE’s candidate in Ceuta shortly before the mass arrivals at the end of July.
León criticized Pérez Triano’s handling of the crisis, accusing him of putting personal and political ambitions ahead of Ceuta residents’ needs. He argued that the Government Delegate had failed to address the exceptional situation, citing economic losses and suspended public events alongside a growing sense of insecurity among residents. León said the city had suffered €28 million in damages, with local businesses closing and daily life disrupted.
León described the crisis as a matter of dignity and public safety, as well as a political issue. He raised concerns about minors’ safety, citing theft and assaults, including sexual violence, that have contributed to widespread anxiety. He said he would not remain silent, even if that meant facing disciplinary action or expulsion from the party. His first loyalty, he emphasized, is to Ceuta.
His criticism centered on Pérez Triano, whom he accused of turning a blind eye to the city’s problems. León argued that a leader who fails to stand with residents during the city’s most difficult period in decades cannot continue to represent them. He called for a new figure to defend Ceuta’s interests directly, rather than manage affairs from a distance.
The strain on local services was reflected in the pressure on child protection. EFE reported that Ceuta was caring for 3,390 minors against an ordinary capacity of 29, about 117 times the usual caseload. From 1 August, the administration opened as many as 12 additional emergency resources. Along with seven facilities already operating and three structural facilities, that brought the total to 22. In a later snapshot, authorities reported 3,434 minors registered in the protection system, including 114 hosted by families in mainland Spain and 181 transferred to other autonomous communities under Article 35 of Organic Law 4/2000, Spain’s immigration law. Authorities also sent 65 family-reunification files to Morocco.
León also accused the central government of withholding information from the public and said he would keep speaking out, regardless of the consequences within the party. His remarks came shortly after the Socialist parliamentary group in Ceuta decided to reshuffle its representation on municipal company boards, consolidating positions around León and Sebastián Guerrero while sidelining several members close to Pérez Triano. The move was officially attributed to organizational reasons, intensifying speculation about internal power struggles.
The dispute later became entangled with questions about what officials knew before the mass arrivals of 30-31 July. At issue were warnings attributed to Spain’s intelligence service, the CNI, including an alert dated 29 July at 13:52 about online calls to enter Ceuta en masse from networks with around 180,000 combined followers. On 1 October, Pérez Triano’s former chief of staff, Gonzalo Sanz, told Spain’s Audiencia Nacional that he had passed the warnings to Pérez Triano. Pérez Triano denied knowing about them. A separate disagreement centered on an 11-minute telephone call. On 15 July, the Government Delegate’s cabinet had reportedly informed the CNI of a proposal to amend the Tenth Additional Provision of Organic Law 4/2000, which governs border rejections in Ceuta and Melilla.
Pérez Triano resigned on 28 September after publicly defending his management of the episode. Before resigning, he said he had requested border reinforcement and additional support for migrant centres as existing facilities approached capacity. Ángel Víctor Torres, the minister responsible for the government response, said an arrival of 80,000 people had been unforeseeable. He later described the influx as an impossible-to-contain tide. The resignation intensified criticism from residents and opposition politicians over whether authorities had acted on advance warnings.
The dispute comes as Ceuta grapples with increased arrivals and heightened security concerns. Previous incidents have drawn national attention and prompted visits from senior officials. Recent tensions came into focus when Defence Minister Margarita Robles faced direct protests from residents during a visit, as reported in coverage of local unrest.
Ceuta’s position as a Spanish enclave bordering Morocco has long made it a focal point for migration and border security issues. The crisis has required border operations and emergency accommodation, while authorities have also transferred minors to other parts of Spain and handled family-reunification procedures. The rift within the PSOE has added uncertainty over local leadership and the broader approach to managing migration and public order in Ceuta.
