Briefing
On 28 August 2026, Interior Minister Fernando Grande‑Marlaska said in the Congreso de los Diputados, in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta around 5,000 people were still there. He condemned the unrest that had occurred repeatedly over recent nights and urged the public to remain calm. At the same time, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Moncloa the Komitee Especializado sobre Ceuta, where 11 government departments coordinate measures for the city.
According to official accounts, the crisis was triggered by the mass entry across the border at the end of July 2026; the largest movement took place on the nights of 30 and 31 July 2026. Since then, numerous people have been returned, according to the authorities, which continue to focus on registration, accommodation and ensuring humanitarian supplies.
The situation has been further aggravated politically by conflicting accounts of what was known before the event: Defence Minister Margarita Robles told Parliament that the Centro Nacional de Inteligencia had informed the Government Delegation in Ceuta on 29 July 2026 of a call, coordinated on social media, for a mass crossing. Marlaska, by contrast, continues to say there was no written report predicting an entry on that scale. The conflicting statements have prompted calls in Congress and in public for a full investigation into the flow of information between ministries and the intelligence service.
Several media reports say that attacks on makeshift camps, arson and blockades of aid distribution took place locally; police increased their presence at key points. The Government Delegate for Ceuta, Ángel Víctor Torres, made an explicit appeal to the public to avoid violence and called for coordinated guidelines on accommodation and registration.
At press time on 28 August 2026, it was not yet clear what specific further measures the central government would decide on in the short term. What is clear, however, is that disagreement over the intelligence picture beforehand will shape parliamentary scrutiny and internal government coordination.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).