Briefing
The Audiencia Nacional on 30 September 2026 approved an exceptional plan to reinforce the Sala de lo Contencioso-Administrativo to deal with the expected rise in applications for international protection and administrative court proceedings following the mass, irregular crossings into Ceuta on 30 and 31 July. The measure provides for temporary staffing increases and organisational changes so the court division can process asylum and protection applications more quickly.
The decision is linked to measures announced by the central government on 1 September 2026 (Real Decreto-ley 22/2026), which set out social, economic and staffing support for the city of Ceuta. The government measure explicitly refers to the need to increase staffing in areas including health, security forces, defence, education and the administration of justice, to ensure public services and legal proceedings on the ground.
The Audiencia Nacional’s decision responds to the «foreseeable increase» in administrative court proceedings linked to applications for international protection following the events in Ceuta, as identified by the judiciary. Criminal investigations and preliminary proceedings are also under way before the Audiencia Nacional; statements are currently being taken from various witnesses to establish the sequence of events and who was responsible.
The measures are intended to speed up proceedings while ensuring they remain fully compliant with the rule of law: procedural deadlines, judicial posts and administrative resources are to be temporarily reallocated. Neither the Audiencia Nacional nor the government has spoken of permanent organisational changes; these are temporary reinforcements to ease the immediate pressure.
The developments can be verified: consolidated legislative texts and official government notices establish the link between Real Decreto-ley 22/2026 and the ordered reinforcements for administration and justice. Several national media outlets have also reported on the Audiencia Nacional’s specific decision on 30 September 2026.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).