Ceuta’s government said Tuesday it was preparing to take Spain’s central government to the Supreme Court over its handling of migrant returns to Morocco, after Madrid rejected accusations of inaction and insisted that more than 12,700 people had already returned across the border.
The government of the Spanish-administered city, led by the opposition Popular Party (PP), approved the legal move following a month-long dispute over access to information on migrants who entered Ceuta during the mass crossings of July 30 and 31.
Alejandro Ramírez, the city’s government spokesperson, said Madrid’s written response to a formal request submitted in September was insufficient, leaving local authorities without figures on how many return procedures had begun, how long they would take or when those still in Ceuta might leave.
The response arrived Tuesday, but Ramírez said the city’s lawyers were reviewing it ahead of a possible administrative appeal to the Supreme Court.
Nearly three months after the crossings, he argued, Madrid was still relying overwhelmingly on voluntary departures rather than completed formal return procedures.
Spain’s government disputed that account, saying 12,705 adults had returned to Morocco since August 10 and that it had mobilized additional police, processing facilities and accommodation to deal with the crisis.
In a statement Tuesday, the Ministry of Territorial Policy rejected Ceuta’s complaint, arguing that the measures requested were already underway and that Spanish and European law required individual assessments before migrants could be expelled.
The ministry also disputed Ceuta’s handling of unaccompanied minors, whose care falls under local jurisdiction, saying none had yet been reunited with family in Morocco despite €88 million in additional support allocated to the city.
Ramírez said Ceuta estimates that approximately 15,000 migrants remain, although Madrid has not confirmed that figure. More than 7,000 people are housed in government reception facilities, according to the local administration.
The post Ceuta threatens Supreme Court action against Madrid over delays in migrant returns to Morocco appeared first on HESPRESS English - Morocco News.