Spain's judiciary requests urgent court reinforcements in Ceuta after 80,000 border arrivals

Surge in caseload and judicial backlog

The General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) requested emergency reinforcements for the courts of Ceuta following the arrival of over 80,000 individuals across the border from Morocco on 30 and 31 July 2026. Nearly twenty days after the crossing, between 5,000 and 10,000 people remain in the autonomous city, which has a permanent population of 89,000 residents. The arrival placed severe operational strain on local public services, including healthcare, social welfare, and the legal system. Under Spanish immigration legislation, judges hold direct responsibility for processing expulsion files and ordering placement in Foreigner Internment Centres if deportation cannot take place within 72 hours of entry.

Staffing requests for criminal and gender violence courts

Following an internal inspection requested on 5 August 2026, the CGPJ Permanent Commission agreed on 18 August 2026 to request two additional magistrates. One judge will reinforce the general duty roster, while a second dedicated commission will assist the court handling violence against women and sexual offences. Magistrates in Ceuta had previously convened on 14 August 2026 to formalize these needs, citing investigative demands that include reported sexual assaults. Alongside the new appointments, the council agreed to defer the scheduled departure of a temporary support judge currently serving in the gender violence court.

The report warns that what happened on those days has affected the public service of justice in an extraordinary manner, especially the civil and investigative section of the Court of First Instance and, particularly, the provision of duty service.

Opening of death and detention proceedings

Statistical records compiled by the inspection service show that between 30 July and 5 August 2026, Ceuta courts opened 96 preliminary proceedings concerning fatalities. During that same six-day window, magistrates handled 23 preliminary proceedings for individuals detained and brought before the court, along with 15 urgent proceedings for specific criminal occurrences. The administrative pressure continued into the following week, with judicial bodies receiving 72 additional police reports involving detained or summoned individuals between 5 August and 11 August 2026. Beyond magistrates, the CGPJ asked the government to supply one judicial administration lawyer, one case manager, two procedural processors, one judicial assistant, two interpreters, and an emergency property appraisal service.

Response from the Ministry of Justice

The Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, led by Félix Bolaños, stated that administrative plans are fully prepared to authorize the judicial additions once the formal petition from the High Court of Justice of Andalusia arrives. Two weeks prior, the ministry implemented initial support measures across regional forensic and judicial bodies. Those actions upgraded the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, expanding its operational capacity by more than 271%. The ministry had also allocated two temporary procedural posts for two months, one forensic doctor post for six months, and reinforced the local prosecution office with three substitute prosecutors and three civil servants. CGPJ member José Antonio Montero will visit the judicial bodies in Ceuta to examine operational conditions on site.