Briefing
On 5 September 2026, the Spanish central government authorised the temporary use of an area of the port in the city of Ceuta, according to official statements, to set up facilities for the humanitarian care of migrants. The background is the crisis in Ceuta that has been ongoing since late July, which led the Government to declare a situation of interest for national security and appoint a so-called mando único (unified command). Ángel Víctor Torres has been named as the person in charge of the mando único.
According to published information, the measure is based on decisions taken in the second half of August and consolidated in an emergency decree (Real Decreto). The executive cited recommendations from the National Security Council and legal provisions allowing public port areas to be temporarily made available for humanitarian purposes. Specifically, use was authorised of an area of around 16.000 m² in the extension of the western port area; this figure appears in government announcements and in media reports citing government sources.
Government representatives said the measure was intended to ensure accommodation and assistance for people who have been admitted, have arrived or are to be transferred out of the city, and forms part of a broader package of state support. They also stressed that legal and administrative procedures had been followed and that Ceuta’s city council and the bodies responsible for the port had been involved; however, press reports describe conflicting actions by the local port authority during the decision-making process.
The government simultaneously announced financial and assistance measures to stabilise the situation in Ceuta. At the time of review, figures for occupied capacity, the exact number of people on site and the planned duration of use of the port area varied; the authorities still need to formally confirm reliable final statistics.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).