Spanish Official Dismissed for Revealing Ceuta Migrant Invasion Figures

Spain's socialist government has dismissed a staff member from the Department of National Security (DSN) for publicly disclosing alarming figures regarding a recent migrant influx into Ceuta. The official, who had been with the DSN since 2018, published an alert indicating that over 49,000 illegal migrants had entered the city, characterizing the event as the worst migrant crisis since May 2021. This alert was reportedly removed from the DSN's website shortly after it was posted. Sources suggest that the information was intended for internal use only, leading to the staff member's termination on August 1, coinciding with the start of her scheduled vacation. Reports indicate that she learned of her dismissal via phone call. Critics have pointed out that the government has not updated its communication channels since July 31, raising concerns about transparency and accountability. The dismissal process was described as unusual, as typically, officials are reassigned to their original agencies rather than terminated outright. Meanwhile, estimates suggest that as many as 60,000 migrants entered Ceuta during the crisis, nearly doubling the enclave's population of approximately 87,000. This surge followed a Supreme Court ruling that restricted law enforcement's ability to conduct pushbacks of illegal migrants at sea, creating a legal loophole that many sought to exploit. European Union leaders are set to discuss the situation in a video conference, marking this event as one of the largest migrant crossings in EU history.