Spain's National Security Council meets over Ceuta migrant crisis

Spain's National Security Council (CSN) is holding an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday to address the ongoing migrant crisis in Ceuta, nearly a month after a mass entry of over 80,000 people from Morocco. The meeting, convened by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, takes place at Moncloa Palace ahead of the weekly Cabinet meeting Source: elespanol. The CSN is the government's top advisory body for national security policy, but it does not make executive decisions; its role is to assist the prime minister in directing security policy and managing crises Source: abces.

Composition and functions

The council includes the prime minister, three deputy prime ministers, and ministers of foreign affairs, defense, interior, and others, along with the director of the CNI, the chief of defense staff, and the director of national security. The president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, will participate remotely Source: abces. Its functions include directing crisis management, coordinating the National Security System, and approving the annual security report Source: abces. The last regular meeting was in April 2026 Source: elespanol.

Key decisions expected

The government is expected to declare a 'situation of interest for National Security' in Ceuta and establish a unified command to coordinate the response to the migrant crisis Source: elespanol. The extraordinary meeting follows previous emergency sessions, such as one after the April 2025 blackout, which was presided over by King Felipe VI Source: elespanol.