Changes from resolution motion to adopted text

RemovedB100411/2026

AddedP10_TA(2026)0317

ChangedEuropean Parliament resolution on theThe recent hybrid attacks and instrumentalisation of migrants in Ceuta and the need for a coordinated response to protect the EU’s external borders

Removed(2026/2870(RSP))

AddedPE788.264

AddedEuropean Parliament resolution of 17 September 2026 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 (2026/2870(RSP))

The European Parliament,

Changed– having regard to Articlethe 4(2)Treaty andon (3)European ofUnion and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in particular their provisions on the area of freedom, security and justice,

Changed– having regard to Articles 67,the 77Geneva andConvention 80relating ofto the Treaty onStatus theof FunctioningRefugees of 1951, and the Europeanadditional Union,protocol thereto,

Removed– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

Added– having regard to the Treaty between the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Hellenic Republic, the French Republic, Ireland, the Italian Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Member States of the European Communities) and the Kingdom of Spain and the Portuguese Republic concerning the accession of the Kingdom of Spain and the Portuguese Republic to the European Economic Community and to the European Atomic Energy Community, signed on 12 June 1985,

Removed– having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child of 20 November 1989,

Added– having regard to the Pact for the Mediterranean launched jointly by the EU, its Member States and southern Mediterranean partners in November 2025,

Removed– 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,

Added– having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child of 20 November 1989, in particular Articles 3 and 18 and the principle of the best interests of the child,

Added– having regard to the legislative instruments comprising the Pact on Migration and Asylum, which entered into application on 12 June 2026,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2016/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code),

Removed– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1351 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on asylum and migration management, amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1147 and (EU) 2021/1060 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 604/2013,

Added– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

Changed– having regard to its resolution of 10 June 2021 onCouncil theDecision breach2006/688/EC of the5 UNOctober Convention2006 on the Rightsestablishment of the Child and thea usemutual ofinformation minorsmechanism byconcerning theMember MoroccanStates’ authoritiesmeasures in the migratoryareas crisisof inasylum Ceuta,and immigration,

Removed– having regard to the joint letter of 1 August 2026 initiated by the Prime Ministers of Italy and Denmark concerning the recent events in Ceuta,

Added– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2026/464 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 February 2026 amending Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 as regards the establishment of a list of safe countries of origin at Union level, which establishes Morocco as a safe country of origin,

Added– 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,

Added– 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,

Added– having regard to the European Court of Human Rights judgment of 13 February 2020 in the case of N.D. and N.T. v Spain (8675/15 and 8697/15),

Added– having regard to the Chișinău Declaration of 15 May 2026 and the commitments undertaken therein by participating states,

Added– having regard to its previous resolutions on Morocco, in particular its resolution 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 and its non-legislative resolution of 16 January 2019 on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco on the amendment of Protocols 1 and 4 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,

Added– having regard to the letter signed by 22 heads of state and government on 1 August 2026 and sent to President of the European Council António Costa, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and Taoiseach Micheál Martin,

Added– having regard to the statements by the Council and the Commission of 15 September 2026 on the recent hybrid attacks and instrumentalisation of migrants in Ceuta and the need for a coordinated response to protect EU’s external borders,

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

Change 1

RemovedA. whereas approximately 80 000 people entered Ceuta from Morocco on 30 and 31 July 2026 in an unprecedented episode of mass illegal entry, placing exceptional pressure on the city’s public services, security forces and reception capacities, resulting in a tragic loss of life;

AddedA. whereas Ceuta and Melilla constitute a singular example of coexistence, being two Spanish cities in which Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu communities have coexisted for generations, sharing public space, cultural traditions and civic life, united by a common commitment to the rule of law, equal rights and the values that underpin the European project;

RemovedB. whereas Ceuta and Melilla are integral parts of the Kingdom of Spain and, as such, form part of the EU and its external borders; whereas their effective protection is essential for safeguarding the security of the EU and is therefore a matter of common European interest;

AddedB. whereas international law and the principle of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of state borders must be respected;

RemovedC. whereas the events of 30 and 31 July constitute an instrumentalisation of illegal migrants as a means of exerting political and social pressure on a Member State and, by extension, the EU;

C. whereas any attempt to undermine or put pressure on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of a Member State, including through the weaponisation of migration by non-EU countries or other hostile international actors, constitutes a hybrid threat to the security and stability of the EU and its Member States and requires a response that goes beyond the instruments designed for addressing ordinary migratory flows;

Change 2

RemovedE. whereas the Spanish Government launched an extraordinary mass regularisation scheme, which had received 1 174 978 applications by 30 June 2026, of which 609 737 had been processed by 2 July, contributing to the perception that illegal entry may ultimately result in legal stay and, therefore, acting as an additional pull factor for illegal migration to the EU;

AddedD. whereas between 29 and 31 July 2026, approximately 80 000 migrants crossed irregularly into Ceuta from Morocco, by land and sea, and several hundred crossed into Melilla; whereas at least 141 people died during the crossing; whereas up to 11 000 irregular migrants refused to return to Morocco and remain in Ceuta; whereas the exact number of deaths and crossings and the identities of those remaining are still unknown;

RemovedF. whereas the joint letter initiated by the Prime Ministers of Italy and Denmark and supported by 22 European leaders rightly underlined the need to address all policies that can serve as pull factors, such as the regularisation of very large numbers of irregular migrants, and stressed that the EU cannot allow uncontrolled mass crossings, the instrumentalisation of migration or other hybrid threats to create the perception that illegal entry into the EU can result in legal stay;

AddedE. 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;

RemovedG. whereas Spanish and international intelligence reportedly raised concerns about the possible presence, among those who entered Ceuta, of individuals with potential links to jihadist groups, highlighting the serious security risks arising from the lack of effective identification and screening following such a large-scale mass entry;

AddedF. whereas special attention should be given to the protection needs of women, children and other vulnerable persons, including measures to prevent and address sexual and gender-based violence and exploitation;

RemovedH. whereas the Schengen area can only function efficiently if the EU and its Member States ensure the effective protection of the EU’s external borders and cooperate closely in combating migrant smuggling and other forms of organised crime;

AddedG. whereas Ceuta, with a resident population of approximately 84 500, has been invaded and has seen its reception facilities, health services and infrastructure brought close to collapse; whereas evidence on the ground, including statements from the Spanish Public Prosecutor’s Office, indicates that sexual violence has risen, including forced prostitution of migrant children; whereas normal life has not resumed, residents, workers and businesses continue to suffer lasting consequences, public order and security remain at risk, and children are returning to school under armed escort, demonstrating that the situation remains far from resolved;

RemovedI. whereas information that was subsequently made public by the Spanish authorities shows that, in the days preceding the events, the competent Spanish authorities received multiple reports, alerts and intelligence assessments concerning increasing irregular movements of people towards Ceuta and, on 29 July 2026, the National Intelligence Centre of Spain issued multiple warnings of calls on social media for a mass crossing by sea and over the border fence the following day;

AddedH. whereas repeated warnings from local authorities and security and intelligence services had been conveyed to the Spanish Government, as per the confidential reports disclosed on 9 September 2026, indicating that pressure at the border had been building well before those days; whereas during the crisis, the Assembly of Ceuta unanimously called on the national government to close the border, declare a national emergency, convene the National Security Council, appoint a single coordinating authority and deploy the armed forces; whereas the Spanish Government failed to act on those calls;

RemovedJ. whereas the mobilisation of tens of thousands of people through social media and messaging applications highlights the capacity of organised actors and networks to rapidly exploit information gaps, judicial developments and perceived weaknesses in border controls;

AddedI. whereas on 1 August 2026, 22 heads of state and government signed a joint letter calling for an immediate and coordinated European response; whereas, in the letter, the heads of state and government linked the crisis to the Spanish Government’s mass regularisation of over one million irregular migrants and stressed that illegal entry must never turn into legal stay; whereas the letter also called for enhanced Frontex support and effective cooperation with Morocco on returns;

RemovedK. whereas the assessment of the competent Spanish police authorities concludes that the events of 30 and 31 July were neither spontaneous nor incidental, but part of a planned process involving different phases, coordinated actors, a high level of technical organisation and a shared objective;

AddedJ. whereas on 4 August 2026, home affairs ministers of the Member States expressed solidarity with Spain and stressed the need to reinforce returns, external borders, third-country cooperation and early-warning systems; whereas the Spanish Ministers for Home Affairs, Grande-Marlaska, and for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Saiz, declined to attend the extraordinary meeting of Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs of 6 August 2026;

RemovedL. whereas, despite the exceptional scale of the crisis and repeated requests from the authorities of Ceuta for a stronger response and support from the Spanish Government, it took 26 days to declare the crisis a situation of interest for national security and establish a coordinated command structure;

AddedK. whereas on 24 August 2026, Spain requested over EUR 32 million in emergency financial support through the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Border Management and Visa Policy Instrument, but only formally requested reinforced support from Frontex, Europol and the EU Agency for Asylum on 28 August 2026, almost a month after the crisis began and despite numerous offers from the Commission;

RemovedM. whereas relations between Spain and Morocco have repeatedly experienced episodes of territorial tension, including in May 2021 when thousands of people crossed illegally into Ceuta after Moroccan border controls were relaxed;

AddedL. whereas the Chișinău Declaration, adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 15 May 2026, recognises instrumentalisation of migration as a contemporary threat to territorial integrity and national security, and affirms the sovereign right of states to protect their borders and pursue new approaches to deter irregular migration;

RemovedN. whereas the competent Spanish authorities have identified relevant common patterns with previous episodes in 2021 and 2024 and assessed the 2026 operation as significantly more complex, coordinated and sophisticated;

AddedM. whereas on 7 September 2026, the Spanish high court Audiencia Nacional assumed responsibility for the judicial investigation into the mass entry of migrants into Ceuta on the grounds that the events may constitute a serious attack on Spain’s territorial integrity;

RemovedO. whereas Morocco is a key partner of the EU in the management of migration in the Western Mediterranean and, as a country of origin and transit, has a particular responsibility to prevent irregular departures from its territory, combat migrant smuggling and trafficking networks, and ensure effective and timely cooperation on identification, returns and readmission;

AddedN. whereas on 9 September 2026, the Commission granted Spain EUR 114,7 million in emergency financial support to help manage the crisis;

RemovedP. whereas the EU has a strategic interest in maintaining constructive and reliable relations with neighbouring non-EU countries, including Morocco, based on reciprocity, mutual respect, respect for territorial integrity and effective cooperation on border management, migration and readmission;

Added1. Pays tribute to and expresses full support for the people of Ceuta and Melilla, who have long embodied a living example of coexistence between people of different cultures, origins and religions; stresses that this coexistence is not merely a social reality but a daily affirmation of the rule of law, equal rights and the common values that lie at the heart of the European project;