MADRID, Spain – The Governing Chamber of the National Court has expressed its absolute support for the actions of Judge María Tardón following a complaint from Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska over her decision to prohibit police officers investigating the Ceuta migration crisis from providing information to their superiors. The chamber unanimously adopted the agreement on Friday, stating that Judge Tardón not only has not interfered with national security through her actions but is acting to preserve and defend the general interest of Spain within the framework of strict respect for her jurisdictional functions.
The Governing Chamber also thanked the President of the Supreme Court and the General Council of the Judiciary, Isabel Perelló, for her defence of judicial independence and for demanding maximum respect for Judge Tardón from political authorities. On Thursday, Minister Marlaska complained to the CGPJ that Judge Tardón had prohibited police investigating the migration crisis from providing information to their superiors, prompting Perelló to call for maximum respect for the judge’s decisions.
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Marlaska had sent a letter to Perelló expressing his concern over the judge’s decision, and she responded with another letter in which she stated that she shared his concern over the gravity and extraordinary nature of the crisis, but made it clear that the judge’s actions respond to the exercise of her constitutional functions, which must be shown the utmost respect. The exchange of letters was initiated after the National Immigration and Borders Centre, attached to the General Commissariat for Immigration and Borders, prepared a report at the request of the judge, which, according to the Interior Ministry, ordered investigators not to provide their superiors with any information about the report.
In the report, police describe the events in Ceuta on July 30 and 31 as a planned mass entry, in no way spontaneous, and implicate Moroccan agents, highlighting the police response of total permissiveness and the presence of uniformed and plainclothes officers in attitudes compatible with monitoring or controlling the situation. The National Court’s backing of Judge Tardón is a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the mass border crossing, which has become a major political and legal issue in Spain.
The case has raised questions about the government’s handling of the crisis and the role of Moroccan authorities in the events. The judge’s investigation continues, and further developments are expected. The government has faced criticism over its response to the crisis, and the judicial inquiry is seen as crucial in determining accountability. The political and legal ramifications are likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
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While, the European Parliament has given its approval to a major reform of the EU’s common return policy, clearing the way for the creation of deportation centres in non-member countries under the new Return Regulation. The legislation, which tightens expulsion procedures and introduces the possibility of housing irregular migrants in facilities located outside the Union, follows the model pioneered by Italy’s agreement with Albania in 2024. Spain, however, voted against the proposal, arguing that the text does not align with the existing European regulatory framework and raising concerns over legal safeguards and human rights compliance.
