The Ministry of Defence will investigate possible ill-treatment of migrants in Ceuta and is referring Amnesty International's complaint to the courts.
The Ministry will launch an internal investigation to "ascertain possible individual responsibilities"
Amnesty International condemns assaults and abuse of migrants by the military
The Ministry of Defence will forward to the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Duty Court in Ceuta the Amnesty International report on ill-treatment and assaults against migrants by military personnel deployed in the autonomous city. It has also urged the Operations Command to investigate and "ascertain possible individual responsibilities" of the personnel present in Ceuta, in order to "preserve the good conduct and reputation of the Armed Forces", according to sources from the ministry headed by Margarita Robles.
The human rights organisation has reported incidents of assault and ill-treatment – which could amount to torture – against migrants and asylum seekers in Ceuta. It has also documented cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, as well as 'unacceptable' reception conditions.
The report was published on Wednesday, marking two months since the mass influx of more than 80,000 people into Ceuta from Morocco. Amnesty International has written to the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of the autonomous city, Juan Jesús Vivas, calling on them to take urgent action. At the same time, the NGO states that it is "aware of the complicated situation" in the autonomous city, and sends a message of "solidarity and support" to the citizens of Ceuta.
Attacks that 'continue to take place'
"This is not a thing of the past; [the attacks] are still happening – the latest one took place a couple of days ago," said Esteban Beltrán, the director of Amnesty International in Spain, on the programme *La Hora de La 1*. He pointed out that the testimonies gathered by Amnesty International have also been collected by many journalists.
At the same time, Beltrán lamented that there are "thousands of people living in appalling conditions in Ceuta" two months after the crisis began, including many vulnerable people, women and girls "left defenceless on the streets", who have been subjected to rape and sexual assault.
For this reason, in their letters to Sánchez and Vivas, they are asking them, on the one hand, to investigate these incidents and put a stop to the military's actions, and, on the other hand, to provide these migrants with decent living conditions.
A 'pattern' of abuse by members of the armed forces
A delegation from AI visited Ceuta from 10 to 15 September, toured the areas where migrants are staying and met with journalists, NGOs, the Public Prosecutor's Office and representatives of the regional government.
Representatives from this international human rights organisation also spoke to more than 65 migrants and asylum seekers, including 31 children and 26 women, two of whom were pregnant.
"Many of the testimonies have highlighted the violence and degrading treatment they suffer at the hands of the military, including women and unaccompanied children, which in some cases, given its severity, may amount to torture," the NGO warned, according to a statement.
An article written by RTVE Noticias (RTVE), initially published on 30 September 2026, 11:15 (CEST)
