Spanish MP: Almost All Migrants Remaining in Ceuta Are Armed Criminals Released Recently From Moroccan Jails

A Spanish regional lawmaker has accused Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government of abandoning Ceuta, colluding with Morocco, enforcing a media blackout, and leaving thousands of remaining migrants-including alleged criminals-in the North African enclave nearly a month after a mass border crossing.

Virginia Martínez, a deputy in the Regional Assembly of Murcia, made the claims in an interview with GB News published around 24 August 2026. She described the late-July events as a "coordinated attack" and "invasion" of Ceuta and Melilla.

Claims about the events in Ceuta

Martínez said more than 60,000 "fighting-age men" crossed from Morocco, many of them recently released from Moroccan jails during Throne Day pardon celebrations. She alleged that national police and the army were "nowhere to be seen" during the initial surge.

She cited social-media videos from Ceuta residents showing looting, fighting, break-ins, harassment of people in the streets, smashed cemetery headstones used to attack locals and police, and migrants using graves to shower. "Our people died for this country and now we have migrants that are showering on their graves," she said. Local businesses closed, food shortages occurred, ATMs were shut for safety, and some residents fled or stayed confined at home; families kept young girls indoors. Valiant locals who confronted the arrivals feared for their children and vulnerable relatives, she added.

Martínez estimated about 5,000 migrants remained in Ceuta, waiting to be trafficked onward to mainland Spain and the rest of Europe. She said those who stayed after most of the initial wave returned were predominantly criminals, some armed. Elite Spanish Legion soldiers hunting remaining migrants had privately reported finding firearms, according to reporting she referenced.

Accusations against the Spanish government

Martínez accused the Sánchez government of being ashamed of the events and of not wanting media coverage. She said the president was making TikTok videos about favourite summer songs while the crossing occurred. An official who publicly acknowledged at least 49,000 arrivals was later dismissed, which she presented as evidence of a cover-up.

She alleged Moroccan orchestration of the crossings "with the collusion of our Spanish government," used both to blackmail Spain and Europe and to push terrorists into the EU via Spain. Residents of Ceuta felt abandoned and outraged at the lack of response. She described Sánchez as untrustworthy and a "traitor," pointing to alliances she said damaged Spain's position, including with separatists and other groups, and to broader policies such as regularising large numbers of immigrants.

Accusations involving the EU

Martínez noted that the European Union had requested verified information on deportations and remaining numbers, which she interpreted as a sign of distrust in the Sánchez government's figures. She said remaining migrants were being positioned for onward movement into the EU.

Context of the crisis

Tens of thousands of people, mainly young men, entered Ceuta from Morocco on 30–31 July 2026 by swimming or walking, one of the largest such incidents recorded. Most returned to Morocco within hours or days after Spanish reinforcements arrived; thousands remained as of late August, living in the streets, on beaches, or in temporary facilities. Spanish government estimates of those still present have ranged from 3,500–7,000, while Ceuta authorities have cited higher figures of at least 10,000. Spanish Legion units were deployed to locate remaining people. Some unofficial reports from soldiers mentioned recovered firearms; Spanish authorities have not confirmed those details. Reports of clashes, including migrants throwing stones at patrols, emerged later in August. Over 100 deaths were associated with the crossings.

The Spanish government has described the situation as a humanitarian and migratory crisis, deployed troops, coordinated with Morocco to halt further entries, and later requested Frontex support for screening. Officials have stated that the large majority of arrivals returned and that returns continue under existing agreements. Sánchez visited Ceuta shortly after the initial surge. Opposition parties, including the Popular Party and Vox, have criticised the government's preparedness and response in parliamentary hearings.

Martínez's remarks reflect a strongly critical opposition view circulating in some Spanish and international media. Official Spanish and Moroccan accounts have not endorsed claims of deliberate collusion or of a systematic media blackout. Exact remaining numbers, the criminal records of those still present, and weapons seizures remain subjects of disputed reporting.