The European Parliament will wait almost seven months to send a mission to Ceuta due to a proposal supported by the right and the far-right

The European Parliament's Committee on Petitions has given its initial approval to send a mission to Ceuta to examine the consequences of the irregular entry of more than 70,000 migrants recorded at the end of July. The delegation will arrive between February 22 and 25, 2027, almost seven months after a crisis that continues to condition the life of the autonomous city.

The agreement was adopted this Thursday by the committee coordinators, but it still needs to receive the formal authorization from the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament. The composition of the delegation also remains pending, and the names of the participating MEPs will be announced later.

During their visit, the parliamentarians will gather information from the Spanish and Ceuta authorities, social organizations, neighborhood associations, and affected individuals. The work will culminate in a political report with the conclusions of the mission, once the meetings have been held and the available documentation examined.

The chosen date considerably reduces the immediacy of the response. When the MEPs arrive in Ceuta, more than half a year will have passed since the massive entry on July 30 and 31. Since then, the city has faced a migratory and humanitarian emergency that has overwhelmed its reception resources and keeps thousands of people awaiting identification, transfer, or protection.

While the visit is postponed until February, the European Commission has already unlocked more than 114 million euros in aid for Spain and has confirmed Frontex's availability to reinforce the operational support requested by the Executive. Brussels adopted these measures after several weeks of technical contacts with the Government to specify the needs on the ground.

The Committee on Petitions has received five complaints related to Ceuta. The situation will also be debated on September 28, before a mission supported by the Popular Party and by various groups on the European right and far-right, including those to which Vox belongs.

The far-right Vox dictates its conclusion before the mission begins

Vox has rushed to claim the initiative, despite the Popular Party also claiming its impulse, and has already set the political result it expects to obtain. The far-right formation announces that it will demand clarification of "what responsibilities the Sánchez Government must assume for the unprotectedness of Ceuta", when the delegation still lacks confirmed members and does not even have a definitive agenda.

The party intends to orient the visit towards meetings with the police union JUPOL, neighborhood associations, residents, and women who have suffered sexual violence. Listening to the victims is part of any serious examination of what happened, but using their testimonies to fuel a partisan campaign before parliamentary work begins would strip the mission of credibility. The protection of their privacy must occupy a central place during the appearances.

The European investigation will have a much broader scope than the narrative prepared by Vox. Among the issues raised are the actions of the Spanish authorities, the possible permissiveness or coordination of Moroccan forces, cooperation between the European Union and Morocco in border control, and the application of European mechanisms for identification, return, and solidarity.

The European Parliament must now authorize the trip, designate its members, and finalize the meetings. Until then, Vox will continue to present a parliamentary mission as an investigation against the Government that must also examine the role of Morocco and the response of European institutions. Ceuta will have to wait until February to receive the delegation and even longer to know its report.