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

–having regard to the Pact on Asylum and Migration,

–having regard to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part, which entered into force in 2000, and the amended protocols thereto,

–having regard to the Agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Morocco on cooperation in the field of prevention of illegal emigration of unaccompanied minors, their protection and their concerted return, which was signed in Rabat on 6 March 2007 and entered into force on 2 October 2012,

–having regard to its resolution of 3 May 2018 on the protection of children in migration,

–having regard to its previous resolution on Ceuta and Morocco, of 10 June 2021, on the breach of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the use of minors by the Moroccan authorities in the migratory crisis in Ceuta,

–having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.whereas on 30 and 31 July 2026 there was a sudden and exceptional irregular arrival of around 80 000 people from Morocco into the autonomous Spanish city of Ceuta;

B.whereas, over those two days, at least 141 people lost their lives at sea trying to reach Ceuta; whereas most of the people who died have not yet been identified; whereas the families of the few bodies identified could not have them repatriated to Morrocco because of the Moroccan authorities’ refusal to accept them;

C.whereas within the following two days, around 70 000 of the people who had arrived irregularly returned to Morocco; whereas a further 5 000 returned to Morocco within seven days; whereas some civil society organisations on the ground have reported that some returns in the first days might not have been voluntary;

D.whereas it is estimated that approximately 10 000 migrants remain in Ceuta, more than 2 000 of whom are unaccompanied minors and 20 % of whom are girls; whereas despite the opening of new emergency reception places for adults and families – 4 500 places rising soon to more than 6 000, according to the Spanish authorities – and 2 000 places for unaccompanied minors, many people still have no access to shelters;

E.whereas the Spanish Government has introduced several mechanisms to enable the reception of unaccompanied minors in other parts of the country; whereas the implementation of these mechanisms requires the cooperation and action of the competent territorial child-protection authorities, which has yet to take place at the scale required by the current emergency; whereas as regards applicants for international protection, including from countries with a high recognition rate, no transfers to others parts of the country have yet taken place despite places being available in the Spanish reception system; whereas the absence of transfers has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis and the dire situation experienced by the population of Ceuta;

F.whereas Ceuta and Melilla’s borders are external borders of the EU;

G.whereas many of those who arrived irregularly in Ceuta were reportedly victims of false information and used for political pressurisation and destabilisation; whereas Spanish intelligence reports have highlighted Morocco’s involvement;

H.whereas the events in Ceuta were rapidly and simultaneously exploited by far-right political actors and networks in various countries to amplify narratives portraying migration as an ‘invasion’ and migrants as a threat, using a humanitarian and geopolitical crisis to advance xenophobic political agendas and destabilise the Spanish Government and the EU;

I.whereas children in Ceuta, including migrant children and Spanish children perceived as being of migrant origin, have been exposed to threats, racist harassment and violence; whereas rhetoric portraying children as ‘invaders’ or security threats risks normalising hostility and violence against them;

J.whereas the best interests of the child must be a primary consideration in all actions concerning children; whereas unaccompanied children may face heightened risks of trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence, exploitation, disappearance and re-victimisation; whereas girls, younger children and children who have experienced violence may have specific protection and care needs;

K.whereas under Spain’s decentralised child-protection system, responsibility for the care and protection of unaccompanied children lies with the autonomous communities and autonomous cities; whereas in response to the current crisis, the Spanish Government has mobilised an extraordinary package of EUR 309 million to support Ceuta, including nearly EUR 63 million specifically earmarked for the reception and protection of unaccompanied migrant children; whereas the government has also allocated an additional EUR 25 million outside that package, specifically for the care and reception of unaccompanied migrant children; whereas exceptional pressure on one territorial child-protection system requires the effective mobilisation of available protection capacity throughout the country;

L.whereas the border between Ceuta and Morocco is one of the most unequal in the world with substantial differences in gross domestic product per capita; whereas high unemployment, especially among young people, unequal development, the rising cost of living, dissatisfaction with public services, endemic corruption, and declining confidence in the Moroccan economy and institutions, create mounting socio-economic pressures on Moroccan citizens, in particular on young people, to emigrate from Morocco; whereas sub-Saharan migrants face violent persecution in Morocco, which does not guarantee their safety or the processing of their asylum applications where needed; whereas Sahrawi people are still persecuted;

M.whereas the International Organization for Migration (IOM) highlighted in its World Migration Report 2026 that restricting safe and regular migration pathways does not stop migration, but instead shifts it into more irregular and dangerous routes, increasing risks for migrants and costs for states, while limiting the broader benefits of migration; whereas this report also highlighted that access to migration opportunities remains uneven, with pathways expanding more for people in higher-income countries while remaining constrained for those in lower-income contexts, reinforcing global mobility inequalities;

N.whereas the events in Ceuta have exposed the structural vulnerabilities and limitations of a European migration policy that is reliant on the externalisation of migration and border management to third countries, creating dependencies that may enable migration and border controls to be used as instruments of political pressure against the EU or its Member States;

O.whereas in accordance with Article 41 of the Schengen Borders Code, specific rules apply in respect of Ceuta and Melilla, meaning that people who arrive irregularly in Ceuta need a permit to travel onwards to the Spanish mainland or to other countries in the Schengen area or the EU;

P.whereas, despite the fact that the people who arrived could not travel onwards from Ceuta, and despite the Council confirming that onward movements did not take place, the Italian Government introduced internal border controls between Italy and Spain from 1 August 2026 until 1 September 2026, and have since extended those controls until 16 September 2026; whereas Germany also referred to the situation in Ceuta when extending its internal border controls;

Q.whereas on 1 August 2026, the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, sent a letter to the Irish Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, calling for the Irish Presidency to convene, as a matter of urgency, an extraordinary meeting of the EU home affairs ministers;

R.whereas also on 1 August 2026, 22 Heads of State or Government wrote to the Council President, António Costa, the Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen and the Irish Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, representing the Presidency of the Council, calling on the Irish Presidency to convene an urgent meeting of the home affairs ministers;

S.whereas an informal video conference of EU home affairs ministers took place on 4 August 2026;

T.whereas Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs held an extraordinary meeting on 6 August 2026 to discuss the events together with Commissioner Magnus Brunner and the Mayor-President of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas; whereas during this meeting Commissioner Brunner committed the Commission to carrying out an objective and impartial investigation into the responsibility of Morocco in relation to the events in Ceuta;

U.whereas on 25 August 2026, the Spanish Council of Ministers approved two draft bills promoted by the Ministry of the Interior, providing for the establishment of a new Asylum Law and a comprehensive reform of Organic Law 4/2000 of 11 January 2000 on the rights and freedoms of foreigners in Spain and their social integration, with the objective of bringing Spanish legislation in line with the Pact on Migration and Asylum;

V.whereas the EU has provided financial support to Morocco for migration management and has committed a further EUR 190 million in funding until 2027, in addition to the EUR 222 million already committed for the period 2021–2024; whereas Spain has also provided substantial financial support to Morocco for migration management and police cooperation since 2021, including EUR 30 million in 2022 and further funding in 2022 and 2024;

1.Expresses its deep regret and sorrow for the 141 people who died during the events of 30 and 31 July 2026; calls on the Spanish and Moroccan authorities to do their utmost to identify those who died and enable the repatriation of the bodies to the families;

2.Expresses its full solidarity with the citizens of Ceuta and with Spain, and applauds the work of families, associations and non-governmental associations who provided humanitarian assistance to those arriving;

3.Stresses the need to strengthen the coordination and shared responsibility between regional, state and EU administrations, providing Ceuta with sufficient resources and rapid response mechanisms to return to normality;

4.Highlights the unprecedented humanitarian crisis experienced in Ceuta; notes reports by civil society organisations of serious human rights violations, including allegations of push-backs and difficulties in accessing procedures for international protection; stresses that the crisis has been further exacerbated by the refusal by the Ceuta authorities and autonomous communities and the pressure from the Commission to transfer unaccompanied minors and other vulnerable people to other regions, including women and girls who are victims of violence, abuse and trafficking, applicants for international protection and families with minors;

5.Expresses concern that thousands of people, including minors, are still being forced to sleep in the streets and on the beach without reliable access to drinking water, sanitation, food or adequate shelter more than 45 days after the events described while being exposed to acts of violence, including the sexual abuse of girls; stresses that the situation is rapidly deteriorating, which is aggravating the humanitarian emergency; calls for immediate action to guarantee their basic needs, dignity and fundamental rights, in accordance with EU and international law;

6.Expresses deep concern about the reports of persecution, intimidation, harassment and violence against humanitarian workers and civil society organisations providing essential assistance to people in vulnerable situations in Ceuta; strongly condemns any actions aimed at obstructing, criminalising or intimidating those who provide humanitarian aid and defend fundamental rights; stresses that humanitarian workers must be able to carry out their legitimate activities independently and in safe and secure conditions, without fear of reprisals, threats or violence; calls on the Spanish authorities to guarantee the protection and safety of humanitarian workers and to ensure that they can access and assist people in need; calls on the Commission to closely monitor the situation and to take the necessary steps to ensure that humanitarian workers are protected and the right to provide humanitarian assistance is fully respected;

7.Condemns the reported police violence and the disproportionate use of force by Spanish law enforcement authorities in Ceuta against the migrants; stresses that any intervention by law enforcement authorities must be strictly necessary, proportionate and fully compliant with fundamental rights and the principles of the rule of law;

8.Expresses concern over the alleged shortcomings in the management of the migration and humanitarian crisis in Ceuta, including the apparent divergences between the Ministries of the Interior and Defence regarding the warnings received from the National Intelligence Centre, the role and handling of those warnings by the Government Delegation in Ceuta, and the apparent lack of effective interinstitutional coordination; calls on the Spanish Government to ensure full transparency and accountability regarding the decisions taken before and during the crisis;

9.Calls for the respect of individual procedures with all the guarantees enshrined in Spanish, EU and international law, both regarding international protection and return procedures, respecting the time limits set in Spanish and EU law; recalls that collective expulsions are a violation of EU and international law; recalls the need to guarantee access to international protection and calls for an accelerated procedure for nationals from countries with a high recognition rate;

10.Acknowledges reports that indicate attempts by the Moroccan authorities to incite border crossings through misinformation; condemns the Moroccan authorities for using peoples’ lives, including those of minors and its own citizens, for international interests; emphasises that people who crossed the border must not be reduced to instruments of geopolitical strategy or treated as a mere means to an end, and that they are victims of this situation;

11.Expresses concern about the Spanish authorities’ repeated dismissal of any responsibility on the part of Morocco for the circumstances surrounding the mass arrival in Ceuta;

12.Condemns the cynical instrumentalisation of the situation in Ceuta by some political actors, including in order to attack the regularisation programme recently introduced by the Spanish Government; recalls that this regularisation scheme previously enjoyed broad political support, including from those now attacking it, and was regarded as offering positive results for Spain’s society and economy;

13.Condemns the political instrumentalisation of humanitarian emergencies to spread racist and xenophobic narratives and undermine fundamental rights; expresses concern over the transnational amplification of dehumanising narratives on migration and recalls the particular responsibility of political representatives not to legitimise rhetoric that exposes migrants, racialised communities and children to hostility, discrimination or violence; is appalled by the racist attacks against migrants, including minors, in Ceuta, and express its solidarity with the victims and their families;

14.Strongly rejects the characterisation of migrant and unaccompanied children as ‘invaders’, ‘threats’ or security risks; recalls that children are rights holders and that unaccompanied children arriving at the EU’s borders are people in need of protection, irrespective of their nationality or migration status; recalls that, under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and EU law, the best interests of the child must be a primary consideration in all decisions concerning children, including unaccompanied children arriving at the EU’s external borders; stresses that decisions concerning reception, placement, family reunification or return must be taken individually, following an assessment of each child’s circumstances, protection needs and safety;

15.Strongly rejects any collective, automatic or indiscriminate return of unaccompanied children or other vulnerable people; stresses that any decision concerning the return or family reunification of unaccompanied minors must be taken individually, after hearing the child and assessing their family environment and safety and protection needs, with full respect for the principle of non-refoulement and all applicable safeguards; underlines that family reunification is a child-protection measure and must not be used as an instrument of migration or border management;

16.Notes the Commission’s decision to grant emergency funding from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Integrated Border Management Fund to Spain in the amount of EUR 114.7 million to address the situation in Ceuta; calls for sustained, structural long-term funding at EU level for appropriate emergency reception conditions to be established in Ceuta, allowing it to provide additional temporary shelter capacity, particularly for unaccompanied minors and other vulnerable people; emphasises the urgent need for their transfer to the mainland in order for the adults to be integrated into the reception system and for the minors to be integrated into the child protection system in the various regions as prescribed by Spanish law;

17.Considers that the events in Ceuta demonstrate the failure of a migration model that is reliant on the externalisation of migration and border management; stresses that the response to the so-called instrumentalisation of migration cannot consist in further externalisation, restricting access to international protection or weakening fundamental rights; calls instead for a rights-based EU migration policy based on solidarity, strong public reception and protection capacities and the activation and expansion of safe and legal pathways to the EU;

18.Considers it necessary, until an investigation of the events is fully concluded, to suspend Morocco from the EU list of safe countries of origin, given the gravity of the indications of its role in destabilising an EU Member State;

19.Emphasises that solidarity between Member States, and the full engagement of the EU and its institutions, agencies and bodies, is the only answer to such events, irrespective of which Member State is affected; regrets the lack of solidarity shown and instead the blame being attributed in this case;

20.Expresses strong solidarity with Member States affected by sudden large arrivals, such as the Ceuta crisis in Spain; reiterates Spain’s obligation to properly manage the EU’s external borders and provide access to international protection, in compliance with relevant international law, in particular the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees;

21.Recalls that, under Article 41 of the Schengen Borders Code and the Declaration by the Kingdom of Spain on the cities of Ceuta and Melilla in the Final Act to the Agreement on the Accession of the Kingdom of Spain to the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985, specific rules apply in respect of Ceuta and Melilla, meaning that those arriving irregularly in Ceuta cannot travel freely onwards to the Spanish mainland or to other EU Member States or countries in the Schengen-area; underlines that Schengen was never at risk;

22.Criticises the decision of Italy to immediately introduce internal border controls with Spain as of 1 August 2026 on the basis of the events in Ceuta, despite the fact that those arriving irregularly could not and did not travel onwards to Spain or another Schengen state; considers such a decision as neither necessary nor proportionate, and, together with similar decisions adopted by other Member States, including Germany, to extend border controls, detrimental to the preservation of an area of free movement without internal border controls; notes, with regret, that the internal border controls have been extended until 16 September;

23.Strongly condemns public statements made by Commission representatives linking the situation of unaccompanied children in Ceuta, as well as other vulnerable profiles including women and girls who are victims of violence, abuse or trafficking, applicants for international protection and families with minors, to the objective of preventing their transfer to mainland Spain; stresses that the Commission should not interfere with decisions concerning the internal organisation of national reception and child-protection systems, including the allocation and reallocation of children within the territory of a Member State, as these fall within the responsibility of the competent national and regional authorities in accordance with EU law; underlines that such decisions must be based exclusively on reception capacity, individual protection needs and, above all, the best interests of the child;

24.Calls on the competent Spanish local and regional authorities to act in a spirit of loyal cooperation and solidarity and to facilitate without delay the placement of unaccompanied children in appropriate protection arrangements throughout the Spanish territory, making full use of available reception and child-protection capacities and ensuring that every decision is guided by the individual needs, rights and best interests of the child;

25.Recalls that the Commission has previously supported and financed the transfer of unaccompanied children from overcrowded reception facilities on the Greek islands, including Lesvos, to appropriate accommodation on the Greek mainland; calls on the Commission to apply the same rights-based approach to Ceuta and to support, rather than discourage, transfers within Spain where these are necessary to ensure adequate protection and care;

26.Calls on the Commission to mobilise without delay all available EU funding to support the reception, protection and, where appropriate, transfer of unaccompanied children, as well as other vulnerable people such as women and girls who are victims of violence, abuse, or trafficking, applicants for international protection and families with minors, from Ceuta to suitable protection arrangements elsewhere in Spain, including small-scale residential facilities and family-based care;

27.Considers that disinformation networks are reportedly responsible for the events that unfolded in Ceuta; highlights, however, that the readiness of people to risk their life at sea to leave Morocco cannot solely be explained by misinformation or possible manipulation of border controls, but is also an expression of citizens’ and third-country nationals’ discontent and deep despair about high unemployment, flagrant inequality, endemic corruption, racists attacks and increasing authoritarianism in Morocco;

28.Stresses the need to avoid any dependency on non-EU countries that do not respect human rights; calls for EU relations with non-EU countries not to make development cooperation, financial assistance or political partnership conditional on preventing departures or reducing arrivals to the EU; stresses that cooperation with partner countries must prioritise human rights, protection, development and safe mobility;

29.Emphasises that Member States must respect EU and international law, in particular the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, as well as EU law on asylum and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, when responding to such events; calls on the Spanish Government to continue to treat unaccompanied minors and vulnerable people with respect and in accordance with the law;

30.Calls on the Commission to conduct a comprehensive review of EU funding provided to Morocco for migration and border management, assessing its effectiveness, human-rights compliance and the extent to which such funding may have created strategic dependencies for the EU and its Member States;

31.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Council of Europe, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.