Ceuta leader says Moncloa dismissed warnings before migrant surge

The president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, has accused the Spanish government of ignoring repeated warnings before a massive migrant entry on July 30, and of downplaying the resulting security crisis. Vivas presented data showing a 600% increase in emergency calls and a surge in violent crime in August compared to the same month in 2025 Source: ABC.es, Infobae.

Ignored warnings

Vivas stated that on July 27, three days before the entry of an estimated 80,000 people, he requested a national emergency declaration and a unified command, but was met with skepticism. He claims Moncloa's chief of staff told him to stop calling because he was being "very pesado" (annoying) Source: El Mundo, Euronews. The government reportedly assured him it was a "summer storm" and that Morocco was cooperating Source: La Vanguardia.

Security data dispute

Vivas directly challenged Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, who had described the insecurity in Ceuta as "subjective." He provided official 112 emergency service figures comparing August 2025 and August 2026:

• Aggressions: from 67 to 1,001 (a 15-fold increase) Source: ABC.es.
• Home invasions: from 10 to 600 Source: El Confidencial.
• Public order disturbances: from 32 to 326 Source: Infobae.
• Port intrusions: from 57 to 1,163 (a 2,000% increase) Source: El Confidencial.

Political fallout

Vivas described Ceuta as a "pressure cooker that could explode at any moment" Source: Infobae. The crisis has already led to the resignation of the chief of staff of the government's delegate in Ceuta, Gonzalo Sanz, who was involved in communications with intelligence services Source: ABC.es. Vivas has also joined the legal case before the National Court to seek clarity on the events Source: Infobae.