CEUTA, Spain – Military personnel and Guardia Civil officers deployed in Ceuta have called on the government to permit the use of proportionate force in response to growing violence, as the migration crisis in the autonomous city becomes increasingly entrenched with between 8,000 and 10,000 irregular migrants continuing to live in precarious conditions on the streets. The situation has intensified as migrants have begun to perpetrate violent incidents against security forces, while thefts, robberies, and other crimes continue to rise, and frustrated groups of residents have begun taking the law into their own hands, forcibly dismantling migrant camps and even setting fire to tents and shacks, forcing police to conduct charges and fire warning shots.
12 Arrested After Migrants Ambush Army Vehicle in Ceuta, 4 Soldiers Injured
The tipping point came early Thursday when a military vehicle was ambushed in the Benzú area by approximately 30 migrants who threw stones, injuring four soldiers, with twelve of the attackers, all Moroccan nationals, subsequently arrested. The Association of Spanish Soldiers has demanded that troops be permitted to use proportionate force in situations of defenselessness, noting that soldiers currently lack a clear legal framework to employ force with adequate means when facing aggression or imminent risk to their physical integrity or that of third parties. The association has called for soldiers to be able to use force in legitimate self-defense under Article 20.4 of the Penal Code, based on principles of necessity, suitability, and proportionality, and has urged clarification of the legal and operational framework for Armed Forces when providing support to security forces to avoid current ambiguity that generates legal uncertainty and puts personnel at risk.
The Union of Troop Soldiers considers it inadmissible to require deployed military personnel to safeguard national security while denying them self-protection means and the necessary legal coverage to act, while the Association of Troop and Sailors of Spain has deemed it essential for the Ministry of Defence to urgently review deployment protocols, assigned resources, and coordination with the Interior Ministry. National Police and Guardia Civil, which do have competence in public security matters, have also reported defenselessness and a lack of clear regulatory framework regarding the use of force, following an incident on Sunday in which an off-duty Guardia Civil officer was attacked by a group of migrants at a petrol station, with two of the attackers arrested and remanded in custody.
Ceuta Police Fire Warning Shots as Residents Clash with Migrants
The Unified Association of Guardia Civil has applauded the judicial decision and demanded a firm hand against those responsible for any aggression against security forces, while the JUPOL police union has formally requested the expansion of Prevention and Reaction Units with the creation of new operational groups in Ceuta and Melilla, as well as a Central UPR to provide immediate response capacity for unforeseen displacements arising from situations of exceptional gravity. The AUGC has also called on the government for a forceful response to halt the escalating violence in Ceuta, detecting a context of growing social tension and noting that several media professionals have reported insults, pushes, and assaults while carrying out their work in recent weeks.
Despite the tensions, the AUGC has called for calm and asked citizens to allow security forces to work, while reiterating its demand for personnel and material reinforcements for Ceuta, considering current resources insufficient to address a situation that has persisted for weeks. The association expressed support for the Ceuta population and insisted that the city needs greater involvement from administrations to face a crisis that continues to generate enormous pressure on public services and security operations. The demand for greater legal clarity and capacity to use force reflects the growing frustration among security personnel who feel constrained in their ability to respond effectively to escalating violence, as the government faces mounting pressure to restore order in the autonomous city.
