Transport Minister fires State lawyer after dissent over migrant camp location in Ceuta
The Ministry of Transport dismissed State lawyer Alejandro Geronico, who had voiced opposition to placing a migrant settlement on two port parcels in Ceuta, despite voting in favor as required by his role.
Alejandro Geronico, appointed in 2021 as the State lawyer for the Ceuta Port Authority, was abruptly dismissed by President Gustavo Santana of Puertos del Estado after he expressed reservations about allocating two port parcels for a migrant camp. During a board meeting, Geronico highlighted technical assessments that flagged the locations as critical infrastructure, near fuel tanks and an electricity substation, and warned of sabotage risks.
He nevertheless stated that his vote had to be affirmative because of his position as a State lawyer. The proposal was approved by four votes in favor and eleven against, and Transport Minister Óscar Puente subsequently assumed authority over the parcels to move roughly a thousand migrants from an illegal beach settlement. Sources say the dismissal was communicated to the minister and framed as a response to Geronico’s dissent, despite his expressed loyalty to the institution.
Why it matters
The firing underscores tensions between legal independence and political directives in Spain's migration management.
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