Ceuta’s regional executive announced on 21 October that it will file a contentious-administrative lawsuit before Spain’s Supreme Court, accusing the central government of failing to provide sufficient personnel and resources to process deportations, returns and asylum applications stemming from the city’s unprecedented migrant influx. The motion was approved unanimously by the local Council of Government and will be submitted within days. Ceuta argues that, despite repeated requests, Madrid has not deployed the 120 extra asylum-officers and 20 migration judges promised in August. As a result, thousands of files remain pending, prolonging the stay of migrants in temporary sites and raising costs for the autonomous city, which claims to have spent €18 million on emergency accommodation. The Ministry of the Presidency maintains that 45 new case-workers have already arrived and says further deployments depend on security conditions. Legal scholars note that under Spain’s Foreigners Act, deportation orders must normally be executed within 60 days of issuance—deadlines that are now routinely breached. For employers that hire seasonal labour via Ceuta’s quota scheme, the legal battle could generate uncertainty over document issuance and exit permits. Advisers recommend monitoring BOE updates and ensuring that any assignments include flexible start dates until processing timelines stabilise. If the Supreme Court admits the case, it could set a precedent on the division of competences between Spain’s central administration and its autonomous cities in managing large-scale migration emergencies.
Source: Antena 3
