The Government adapts national security in Ceuta to new reception centers

The Government has approved Royal Decree 706/2026, of September 1, which modifies the declaration of a situation of interest for national security in the city of Ceuta, adapting reception resources to the evolution of the migratory crisis. The regulation, published in the Official State Gazette number 216, of September 2, 2026, in section I of general provisions (p. 118325), reforms Royal Decree 681/2026, of August 25, which declared said situation.

The measure responds to the irregular entry of migrants into Ceuta on July 30 and 31, which generated unprecedented pressure on border control, identification, humanitarian aid, and the reception efforts of the various administrations, affecting the ordinary functioning of public services. The text, signed by King Felipe R. and countersigned by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, is issued in accordance with article 24 of Law 36/2015, of September 28, on National Security, following a report from the National Security Council.

New reception spaces

The identification of alternative spaces allows for the avoidance of sports centers and some lands of the Ministry of Defense that appeared in the annexes of the original decree. The new sites offer the possibility of being used more immediately, meeting the minimum required requirements and generating a lower impact on the coexistence of the population of Ceuta.

• Port of Ceuta: two plots of the west expansion phase I, dependent on the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.
• K8 Barracks: lands of the Ministry of Defense.
• Loma Margarita, facilities of the Equestrian Center and the former football field of the cavalry barracks (Defense).
• Explanada del Guano (former factory), of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.
• Loma Colmenar D5 and E5, House 47, of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda.

Institutional coordination

The Situation Committee for the situation of interest for National Security of Ceuta, in its meeting on August 28, 2026, with the city present as a member, reviewed the list of spaces in annexes I and II of Royal Decree 681/2026 and agreed to submit the modifications to the National Security Council for a report. The reform is supported by article 4.2.b) of the original decree, which enables the President of the Government to agree, before the end of its validity, to the modification of the material or geographical scope of the declared situation.

Within the city of Ceuta, the resources for social and welfare services, child protection, local police, civil protection, fire prevention, health services and accommodation are included, as well as the land ceded in the Loma Colmenar staging parking lot.

Impact

The regulation, which takes effect on the day of its publication, reinforces the State’s response capacity to the migratory crisis in Ceuta, prioritizing the return of irregular migrants remaining in the city through their temporary accommodation in suitable spaces. The introduced flexibility allows the Government, in coordination with the city, to adjust resources to emerging needs, guaranteeing the continuity of essential services and the coexistence of the people of Ceuta.

Source: Official State Gazette, no. 216, Wednesday, September 2, 2026, Sec. I, page 118325 (official reference: BOE-A-2026-18430).