The Spanish government has accused Ceuta local authorities of shared blame for an ongoing migration emergency as regional leaders threaten legal action against Madrid.
Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas gave the administration of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez a 30-day ultimatum to resolve the situation before filing lawsuits in the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court. Vivas cited what he described as almost absolute passivity from central authorities following a mass border entry of 72,000 people more than two weeks ago.
The central government responded by accusing the opposition Popular Party of lying for political gain during a border emergency. Officials in Madrid have begun building a legal defense to demonstrate that state agencies are actively responding to the crisis.
Social Security, Inclusion and Migration Minister Elma Saiz announced four extraordinary temporary humanitarian care facilities providing 1,500 accommodation places. Saiz, who was heckled by crowds during her visit to Ceuta on Monday, specified that three centers will be managed by the central state administration and one by the autonomous city.
Interior Ministry figures show around 5,000 people from the recent influx remain in Ceuta. Government officials acknowledged that the 1,500 new spaces will relieve healthcare and social pressure but will not resolve the crisis on their own.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez chaired a remote videoconference from the La Mareta estate with several cabinet ministers to analyze the unfolding situation. The royal estate in Lanzarote serves as a traditional location for executive meetings during summer breaks.
Dispute over health facilities and legal responsibilities
Health Minister Mónica García opened a second line of criticism against local leadership, accusing Vivas of failing to quickly open safe and sanitary facilities for incoming migrants. García noted that 17 days after the influx began, local authorities had still not set up dedicated areas to monitor health and isolate potential disease outbreaks.
García pointed out that during a previous migration crisis in 2021, local authorities successfully established temporary health facilities without delay. The Ministry of Health also denied claims that Ceuta healthcare services have collapsed, acknowledging severe tension while insisting care capacity remains intact.
Central government sources indicated that if Vivas pursues legal action over alleged inaction, Moncloa will frame the dispute as a shared responsibility between national and local administrations. Officials plan to adopt a strategy similar to their defense during the DANA flood emergency by documenting state actions while highlighting local responsibilities.
Government sources asserted that Vivas will be required to identify specific legal obligations that central ministers failed to fulfill, adding that the regional president will be unable to prove any such breach.
Contrasting plans for border processing and returns
Vivas rejected the criticisms made by the Health Minister, defending the behavior of local residents and arguing that the enclave is handling pressure far beyond its administrative capacity. He accused central ministers of passing responsibility to one another rather than taking decisive action.
The regional president emphasized that the central government has failed to clarify how many migrants remain in Ceuta or how many return proceedings have been started. Vivas proposed mobilizing 50 immigration staff to process up to 15,000 repatriation files over the next month, claiming the main obstacle is a lack of political willpower in Madrid.
Central government officials maintained that multiple state departments are actively managing the border. The Interior Ministry has reinforced police units, the Defense Ministry maintains Armed Forces deployments, and Foreign Affairs is negotiating migrant returns with officials in Rabat, Morocco.
Moncloa officials added that multiple ministers have traveled to the North African enclave to address the emergency directly as Madrid continues compiling documentation for potential court proceedings.
