Torres will oversee actions across five government ministries following the mass arrival of migrants that strained local resources in the autonomous city.
Five Ministries Tasked with Ceuta Crisis Management
Ángel Víctor Torres will direct the operational response involving five distinct government branches: the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, the Ministry of the Interior led by Fernando Grande-Marlaska, the Ministry of Inclusion, Security and Migration led by Elma Saiz, the Ministry of Defense led by Margarita Robles, and the Ministry of Youth and Children led by Sira Rego, as reported by El Español. Government sources cited by El Español emphasized that Torres’s organizational skills are well-established, pointing to his prior tenure as president of the Canary Islands during multiple migration surges.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Territorial Policy highlighted that Torres served as the legislative driver behind the recent reform of Spain’s Aliens Act (Ley de Extranjería). That reform facilitated the relocation of unaccompanied migrant minors away from the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla to other mainland territories, with the exception of the Basque Country and Catalonia based on their pre-existing reception efforts.
Single Command Structure Rejected Despite Local Demands
The appointment comes in response to persistent calls from Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas and the Partido Popular (PP) for a unified command structure, or mando único, to centralize coordination between local authorities and the central government, according to El Periódico and El Español. Vivas pressed Torres for a specific plan to restore normalcy during a meeting in Ceuta on August 10, 2024.
Despite these local demands, the national government has opted against declaring a state of security national emergency that would activate a unified military-civilian command over national police, civil guard, and emergency services. According to El Español, the administration maintains that the autonomous city should retain its baseline competencies over local services while receiving inter-ministerial support directed by Torres.
Political Friction Over Relief Plans and Migrant Transfers
El Plural reported that government representatives defended relocation proposals made to local authorities, dismissing remarks by Ceuta President Vivas regarding a lack of formal notice as a byproduct of a complex political press conference alongside PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo.
Meanwhile, PP vicesecretary Juan Bravo criticized the central administration on August 16, 2024, claiming the government has left President Vivas isolated in managing numerous migrants remaining in the city, according to El Plural. The opposition party continues to advocate for an economic reactivation plan for Ceuta valued at hundreds of millions of euros over six years, while central government officials maintain that coordination channels and individualized minor case files remain active.