Spain prepares fast-track deportation decree as 12,000 migrants remain in Ceuta

Government drafting fast-track return decree

The Spanish government has mobilised the State Attorney's Office and ministerial legal teams to draft a royal decree-law aimed at accelerating migrant returns from Ceuta. Nearly two months after more than 72,000 people crossed the border on 31 July 2026, an estimated 12,000 migrants remain in the autonomous city. Moncloa calculates that 90% of those remaining do not meet international protection criteria. Under the draft measures, authorities intend to eliminate the previous review by the Interministerial Asylum Commission, cut appeal periods for rejections to five days, and process cases with priority. The draft also considers archiving asylum requests if individuals leave reception facilities. The provisions target nationals from countries designated safe by the European Union, such as Morocco, allowing returns before judicial appeals conclude.

In the affiliation, the maximum period is 12 weeks. But we are reducing it to the maximum and I also announce that the Government of Spain is studying mechanisms, of another nature, also legislative, to see how far we can cut those steps.

European ministers push for rapid border intervention

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt hosted a migration meeting in Munich alongside 18 European counterparts and European Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska was absent from the Munich discussions, sending the Secretary of State for Migration in his place, though he plans to attend the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 1 October. European ministers agreed that the EU requires an accelerated deportation mechanism for exceptional circumstances. Dobrindt stated that thousands who entered Ceuta had moved to mainland Europe during the summer, either through smuggler networks or official Spanish transfers. The ministers backed a rapid response force within Frontex capable of deploying to external borders within 24 hours when national authorities face sudden pressure.

We need a new European mechanism to manage migration crises.

Domestic political clashes and coalition debate

Minister for Digital Transformation Óscar López confirmed that the executive is examining all options, including the royal decree-law, to restore normality in Ceuta. Differences have surfaced within the coalition, as Youth and Children Minister Sira Rego from Sumar emphasized that any legislative adjustment must strictly uphold international asylum rights and current legal protections. People's Party Deputy General Secretary Juan Bravo stated in Ceuta that parliament could pass a targeted legal reform within a week to enable immediate returns. Vox leader Santiago Abascal dismissed the planned decree during a demonstration in Madrid organised by Sociedad Civil Española to demand early general elections. Abascal argued that unaccompanied minors in Ceuta should be returned directly to their families in Morocco.

The only certainty is that this Government is the culprit for what happened in Ceuta, and the culprit is not the one who will resolve the situation.

State of exception proposals and local pressure

Legal scholars and retired military officers in Spain have raised the prospect of declaring a state of exception under Article 116 of the Constitution to address unrest in Ceuta. Such a declaration requires prior approval from the Congress of Deputies, lasts up to 30 days, and permits temporary suspensions of specific rights including free movement and privacy of communications. Under Article 24 of Organic Law 4/1981, authorities could impose mandatory daily reporting rules and strict identification requirements on foreign nationals, with non-compliance triggering express expulsion. The national emergency declared by the central government three weeks earlier has not ended local unrest, as residents report ongoing public order issues and overcrowded urban areas.