Sittings · Document
On the recent hybrid attacks and instrumentalisation of migrants in Ceuta and the need for a coordinated response to protect the EU’s external borders
on behalf of the ECR Group · Rapporteur: Assita Kanko, Alessandro Ciriani, Diego Solier, Nora Junco García, Jadwiga Wiśniewska, Jacek Ozdoba, Nicolas Bay, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Mariusz Kamiński, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński, Maciej Wąsik
Parliament's resolution on the July 2026 mass entry into Ceuta calls for a coordinated EU response to hybrid attacks and the instrumentalisation of migrants at the EU's external borders.¶¶¶ It reaffirms that Ceuta and Melilla are part of Spain and the EU's external border, condemns the use of migrants as political pressure, and criticises Spain's failure to anticipate the entry and its delayed response.¶¶¶ It asks Spain for full information on those who entered, and asks the Commission to assess national mass regularisation schemes, strengthen early warning and intelligence-sharing, and review EU funds, trade and aid where partners fail on border management and readmission.¶¶¶ It calls for a new EU legal framework against instrumentalisation, more support for frontline states and physical border barriers, full use of Schengen safeguards, and swift implementation of the return framework.¶¶¶ It asks the Commission and the High Representative to assess the events of 30 and 31 July 2026 and to report to Parliament on lessons learnt.¶¶
Key points
- Reaffirms that Ceuta and Melilla are integral parts of Spain and form part of the EU's external border, and that their sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable.¶
- Expresses solidarity with the people of Ceuta and concern at documented assaults, theft and degrading treatment suffered by the local population.¶
- Condemns the instrumentalisation of illegal migration and the use of migrants, including unaccompanied minors, as political pressure, and supports law enforcement and border guards.¶¶
- Deplores Spain's failure to anticipate the mass entry despite prior alerts, and its delayed response: 26 days passed before the crisis was declared a situation of interest for national security.¶¶
- Notes discrepancies between central government and Ceuta figures on persons still present, estimated at around 10 000 to 13 000 or more, and calls on Spain to provide full and transparent information.¶¶
- Raises concern at Spain's large-scale regularisation policy as a pull factor, and asks the Commission to assess its cross-border impact on secondary movements and Schengen.¶
- Stresses that protection of external borders requires identification, registration and security screening, including checks against European and national databases and counter-terrorism screening.¶¶
- Calls on the Commission, Frontex, Europol and member states to strengthen early-warning mechanisms, intelligence-sharing and operational cooperation, including against social media-facilitated mobilisation.¶
- Says EU relations with neighbouring countries must be based on reciprocity, and that market access, financing and cooperation should be conditional on measurable commitments on border management, readmission and territorial integrity.¶¶
- Calls on the Commission to accelerate readmission agreements, strengthen cooperation with Morocco and other countries of origin and transit, and asks Morocco to comply with its international obligations.¶¶¶
- Calls for stronger action upstream against smuggling networks and organised mobilisation, and for an urgent Commission proposal for a legal framework against instrumentalisation by hostile state and non-state actors.¶¶¶
- Calls for EU operational, technical and financial resources to protect Ceuta and Melilla, support for frontline states, funding for physical barriers, full use of Schengen safeguards, and swift implementation of the return framework including return hubs.¶¶¶
Who is affected
- Spain: criticised for failing to anticipate the entry and for a delayed response, and asked to provide full information on those who entered.¶¶¶
- Ceuta and its population: recognised as facing exceptional pressure, with solidarity expressed and concerns about assaults and theft.¶¶
- Morocco: called on to comply with international obligations and cooperate fully with Spanish and EU authorities.¶
- Commission, Frontex, Europol and member states: asked to strengthen early warning, intelligence-sharing and border cooperation.¶
- Frontline member states: to receive stronger EU support, funds and emergency measures against instrumentalisation.¶¶
Figures and deadlines
- approximately 80 000 people entered Ceuta from Morocco on 30 and 31 July 2026¶
- 1 174 978 applications had been received by 30 June 2026 under Spain's mass regularisation scheme¶
- 609 737 applications had been processed by 2 July¶
- it took 26 days to declare the crisis a situation of interest for national security¶¶
- estimates ranging from around 10 000 to 13 000 or more persons still present in Ceuta¶
- on 29 July 2026, the National Intelligence Centre of Spain issued multiple warnings of calls for a mass crossing¶
Legal basis: Article 4(2) and (3) of the Treaty on European Union; Articles 67, 77 and 80 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union¶¶
Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text and ¶ links to the paragraph it rests on. Check the text itself before relying on it.