Anti-immigration unrest has broken out in the market town of Thetford, Norfolk, leading to multiple nights of violence, property damage, and several arrests.

 

Migration Thetford unrest

Anti-immigration unrest has broken out in the market town of Thetford, Norfolk, leading to multiple nights of violence, property damage, and several arrests.

 

🚨 Core Events and Conflict

The disorder erupted over three consecutive nights. Crowds of up to 200 protesters targeted residential properties they believed were being used as Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) to house asylum seekers.

• Property Attacks: Groups threw rocks and eggs at targeted houses, smashed windows, and attempted to "kick down doors" to gain entry. In one instance, a resident was reportedly forced out of a property and had their mobile phone stolen.
• Evacuations: For their own safety, several asylum seekers had to be escorted out of their homes by police and evacuated from the area.
• Violence Against Police: Officers faced severe aggression while trying to defend the properties. One female officer was seriously bitten, another officer was struck by a rock, and a third was spat at, resulting in two hospitalizations.

🔍 Root Causes of Tension

The immediate catalyst for the local unrest is a combination of housing anxieties and a lack of local communication:

• RAF Barnham Proposals: Tensions have been escalating ever since the Home Office proposed converting RAF Barnham—a former military base located just two miles from Thetford—into an accommodation facility to house up to 3,750 asylum seekers.
• Lack of Consultation: Local residents have expressed intense frustration at what they perceive as "secrecy and confusion," stating they have been left completely in the dark and unconsulted by the Home Office and government contractors like Serco.
• Local Resources: There is widespread resentment regarding the usage of local housing stock for asylum accommodation while young local residents struggle to find affordable homes.

⚖️ Official and Political Responses

• Police Action: Norfolk Police deployed significant resources, including riot vans and extra dispersal powers, to control the crowds. At least six people have been arrested. Chief Constable Paul Sanford condemned the "significant minority" who crossed the line into violent vigilantism.
• Political Condemnation: The local Labour MP for South West Norfolk, Terry Jermy, condemned the "mob rule," warning that the terrifying scenes have "put Thetford back decades". Reform UK figures, including the local Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner Colin Sutton, also condemned the violence and property damage despite expressing shared political opposition to the placement of the HMOs.
• Government Stance: The Home Office and Border Security Minister Anna Turley called the violence "horrendous" and "unacceptable," reiterating that while people have a right to peaceful protest, violent thugs will face the full force of the law.

Ceuta has exposed the EU’s border fraud

Ceuta has exposed the EU’s border fraud

 

Brussels elites have presided over a legal and political regime that invites illegal immigration.

 

Jacob Reynolds

4th August 2026

https://www.spiked-online.com/2026/08/04/ceuta-has-exposed-the-eus-border-fraud/

 

In the space of 24 hours, over 60,000 people from Morocco illegally crossed into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta. The events of Thursday and Friday last week exposed the central fraud of European migration policy. Brussels elites continue to act as if they’re preserving Europe’s borders while in reality encouraging their dissolution.

 

Just listen to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen responding to the news that many of those who entered Ceuta on Friday have now returned to Morocco. She actually congratulated Spain for its ‘efficient and effective’ management of the crisis, praising this response as evidence of a ‘solid’ European system.

 

It’s incredibly disingenuous. The European Commission is dressing up a glaring example of the weakness of Europe’s border regime as a good-news story. To read its statements, you could be forgiven for thinking that von der Leyen and Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, were themselves personally directing deportations.

 

In truth, Spain and the EU got lucky. Many of these Moroccans (who may well have been tacitly engaged by the Moroccan government) simply decided to head home.

 

Besides, Ceuta’s problems are far from over. There are many on-the-ground reports claiming that as many as 5,000 migrants of mainly non-Moroccan, sub-Saharan backgrounds still remain in Ceuta. The Moroccan authorities refuse to accept the return of these non-Moroccan nationals, and Ceuta’s migrant-reception facilities have simply ‘collapsed’ under the strain. No doubt these illegal entrants will now make asylum claims in Spain.

 

Despite von der Leyen’s enthusiastic rhetoric, the Ceuta crisis has exposed the fundamental flaw of Europe’s migration regime. The EU is governed by a legal, political and welfare architecture that acts as an invitation to illegal migrants. For several decades, European elites have presided over a system that has allowed asylum procedures to drag on for years at a time, made returns an exception rather than the rule, and funded and maintained a vast NGO and advocacy system that literally funnels illegal migrants into Europe and ensures they stay. The lure of the EU for illegal migrants is proving irresistible.

 

Spain is a prime example of the problem. Sánchez’s government has recently forced through an amnesty for illegal migrants – with as many as two million forecast to apply. And the Spanish Supreme Court, following EU precedent, has recently ruled that sea borders are effectively irrelevant. It is as if Spain is actively trying to encourage a flood of people into the country and, by extension, the EU.

 

At the same time, Ceuta has put the Brussels elites in an awkward position. While they have presided over a Europe-wide regime that is acting as an invitation to illegal migration, the spectacle of masses of people pouring into Ceuta has forced them to speak in the language of borders and sovereignty. Sánchez described the crossing as an attack on Spain’s territorial integrity. His government deployed police, soldiers and naval personnel, erected a physical maritime barrier, accelerated asylum decisions and facilitated mass returns. Von der Leyen is now speaking of stronger physical borders, early-warning systems, faster returns and an expanded role for Frontex, the EU’s border agency.

 

These are measures and concepts that Europe’s pro-EU elites normally shy away from or even demonise. Yet the crisis at Ceuta was simply too embarrassing for them. Not even the European Commission is capable of presenting this mob of overwhelmingly young, male migrants as a human-rights concern. Thus, almost out of sheer embarrassment, the same elites who have spent decades downplaying illegal immigration as ‘irregular migration’ have suddenly been forced to rediscover borders, territory and sovereignty.

 

Of course, Europe’s political class has not really been won over to the cause of national sovereignty. The same pro-immigration legal regime and flawed border policies persist. As ever for the Eurocratic elites, they will do and say anything to survive.

 

Nevertheless, the Ceuta crisis has done great damage to the EU, especially to the Schengen system, its internal open-border area. Schengen only works if every EU member state trusts the immigration decisions of other EU member states. For many years, this trust has been strained – with Poland or Hungary punished by the EU for deciding to enforce their own borders during and after the 2015 migrant crisis.

 

In the wake of Ceuta, Schengen is under more strain than ever. Italy responded by reintroducing checks on arrivals from Spain, and other governments discussed further restrictions. This comes on top of France, Germany, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands and Sweden having recently already imposed their own internal border controls.

 

The European Commission has described these controls as exceptional. Yet given the exceptions are persisting and multiplying across the continent, they are increasingly looking like the norm. The belief that Schengen should apply only for EU nationals is fast becoming common sense across Europe, even though it would effectively mark the end of the Schengen system.

 

It seems that the EU’s tolerance for ‘exceptional’ measures to control immigration and drive back illegal entrants is rapidly increasing. The task for anyone concerned about restoring national sovereignty is to seize the opportunity and turn these exceptions into the rule.

 

Jacob Reynolds is head of policy at MCC Brussels.

Not Just an Invasion, but a Surrender | MCC Brussels Podcast

BREAKING NEWS CEUTA | Morocco removes razor wire and Meloni ignores Pedro Sánchez

Reports: Spanish authorities concerned over possible Ceuta migrant crossing on 15 August

 

Yes, Spanish authorities are actively preparing for a potential second mass migrant crossing into the North African enclave of Ceuta on August 15, 2026.

 

Spain fears a new crossing from Morocco to Ceuta in 15 August

Yes, Spanish authorities are actively preparing for a potential second mass migrant crossing into the North African enclave of Ceuta on August 15, 2026. This warning follows an intelligence assessment by Spain's Civil Guard, which uncovered an extensive, coordinated social media campaign urging tens of thousands of people to make a collective border breach.

This threat comes directly on the heels of an unprecedented crisis in late July 2026, when an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 migrants overwhelmed security forces by swimming or storming across the Moroccan border into Ceuta within a single weekend.

 

The Intelligence Report

A six-page internal report by the Spanish Civil Guard, publicized by Spanish media outlets like RTVE and Mañaneros, outlines the current threat profile:

• Massive Digital Reach: Authorities tracked active coordination across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and TikTok groups. The largest online communities involved possess a combined membership of 400,000 to 422,000 people.
• Specific Logistics: The digital chatter explicitly coordinates departure points (such as the Moroccan border towns of Fnideq and Belyounech), optimal swimming routes, and designates August 15 as the target date.
• Rampant Misinformation: The campaign is heavily fueled by false online rumors claiming that European borders will be temporarily left wide open, that returns are legally blocked, or that immediate financial aid will be distributed upon arrival.

Current Security Outlook

While Spanish authorities state the risk is "real and documented," the exact scale of the potential August 15 turnout remains uncertain. There is currently no evidence that the Moroccan government or structured criminal syndicates are orchestrating the campaign.

Whether a second breach occurs heavily relies on joint preventative measures. Spain has deployed additional military and police assets to reinforce its borders, while Morocco has committed to scaling up checkpoint controls, coastal water cannons, and transport hub security to intercept crowds before they can approach the enclave.

 

The social media networks driving migrant crossings | DW News

 

Spain has officially introduced temporary border checks on all travelers arriving from Italy by air and sea.

 

Spain to introduce temporary border checks on visitors from Italy

Spain has officially introduced temporary border checks on all travelers arriving from Italy by air and sea. The reciprocal countermeasure, implemented by Spain's Ministry of Interior, took effect at midnight on Saturday, August 8, 2026, and is scheduled to remain in place until September 7, 2026.

 

Why the Checks Were Introduced

The measure is a direct response to a escalating diplomatic dispute between Spain's socialist government under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Italy’s conservative government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

• The Catalyst: On July 30–31, an unprecedented surge of nearly 80,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta.
• Italy's Move: Citing national security concerns and the risk of irregular migrants moving deeper into the Schengen area, Italy unilaterally suspended visa-free travel from Spain on August 1.
• Spain's Counter-Response: Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares blasted Italy's decision as "unjustified" and "discriminatory," noting that most Ceuta migrants had already been returned to Morocco. After Italy refused Spain's ultimatum to drop the restrictions, Madrid enacted these reciprocal border controls.

What This Means for Travelers

Because Spain and Italy do not share a land border, the temporary suspension of the standard Schengen rules applies exclusively to ports and airports.

• Type of Checks: Spanish authorities are conducting random identity, passport, and visa verifications on incoming flights and maritime vessels arriving from Italy.
• Who Is Affected: Unlike Italy's checks (which specifically target non-EU citizens), Spain's countermeasure involves document verification for Italian citizens and third-country nationals alike. Third-country nationals may be asked to present a valid visa or residence permit.
• Delays: Travelers should brace for potential queues and additional screening wait times at Spanish airports and cruise terminals.

Italy has stated it will maintain its controls until at least August 15, meaning travel disruptions between the two Mediterranean hubs are likely to persist for the next few weeks

 

Spain to introduce temporary border checks on visitors from Italy

 

Spain to introduce temporary border checks on visitors from Italy

Move comes in response to Rome imposing similar measures after mass migration rush to Ceuta

 

Agence France-Presse

Fri 7 Aug 2026 22.44 BST

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/07/spain-to-introduce-temporary-border-checks-on-visitors-from-italy

 

Spain has announced it will introduce temporary border checks on visitors from Italy in response to Rome imposing similar measures after a mass rush of people from Morocco into Ceuta.

 

The checks, which come “amid the persistent irregular migration pressure” facing Italy, will start at midnight on Saturday and last until 7 September, Spain’s interior ministry said in a statement.

 

Hours earlier, Spain threatened Italy with countermeasures if it did not swiftly lift its own border checks, drawing a rebuff from Rome.

 

The rare spat between the EU and Nato allies came after tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco to Spain’s north African territory on 30-31 July in an unprecedented, deadly rush.

 

The scenes infuriated EU members that back a hard line on irregular immigration, including Italy, which imposed border checks on people arriving from Spain for one month.

 

The Spanish government criticised the measure on Friday as “unfair, contrary to the EU’s interests and discriminatory for the Spanish population”.

 

Foreign minister José Manuel Albares described it as “a torpedo fired at the hull of European unity”.

 

“We urge the government of Italy to rectify, put an end to the checks and treat Spaniards like other European citizens,” he added.

 

He threatened “proportional measures” in response by Sunday if Italy failed to comply.

 

Within hours, the government of Italy’s far-right prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, said it “had no intention of revising the decision” before 15 August, when it said Spanish authorities “expected a new wave of migration” to hit Ceuta.

 

Meloni’s office said in a statement: “Italy does not accept ultimatums or impositions from abroad regarding national security and border control.

 

“Only when there is certainty that there are no security or terrorism risks to Italy, that no new wave is occurring, and that no irregular migrants are heading toward European territory, will the decision be reconsidered.”

 

Spain’s interior ministry announced the reciprocal measures within hours.

 

Spanish police have been monitoring online rumours and social media about possible fresh arrivals in Ceuta in mid-August, according to local media. But authorities have not expressly said they expect a repeat of last week’s rush.

 

Border authorities would in the meantime “do their utmost to ensure maximum ease of movement for Spanish and European citizens” who are not affected by border checks, the Italian statement added.

 

Italy, which does not share a land border with Spain, introduced border controls at maritime and air entry points for third-country nationals arriving from Spain.

 

The move, announced on 31 July, was an “extraordinary measure” intended to “safeguard national security and prevent possible repercussions for our nation”, Meloni said at the time.

 

She was among several EU leaders who called for Spain to be suspended from the visa-free Schengen travel zone after the Ceuta incident, despite such a move being legally impossible.

 

Italy’s coalition government has sought to stop the tens of thousands of people who land in small boats on the country’s shores each year.

 

The Spanish government warned against “creating rifts and sterile conflicts driven by internal electoral motives” and said “we trust that pro-European sentiment, common sense and good faith prevail”.

 

Of the 72,000 people who entered Ceuta, 70,000 have returned to Morocco, according to official Spanish figures.

 

Spanish authorities said 80 people died in the crossings.

 

Moroccan rights groups, however, estimate the figure to be higher. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights and the European Coordination for Human Rights in Morocco on Friday said at least 141 deaths were recorded and that the toll was likely to rise.

 

Morocco’s interior ministry has said 11 people died on its side of the border, all but one by drowning.

 

Those who remain in Ceuta – including hundreds of unaccompanied children – face dire living conditions with little access to food, water and shelter.

Spain Blasts Italy's 'Disproportionate' Border Checks As EU Divided Over Ceuta Surge | Watch Video

 

Italy says it won’t take orders from Spain on border checks

 

Italy says it won’t take orders from Spain on border checks

Meloni’s government says it will continue its temporary suspension of Schengen until at least Aug. 15.

 

August 7, 2026 6:10 pm CET

By Giorgio Leali

GROSSETO, Italy — The Italo-Spanish clash on border controls is escalating.

https://www.politico.eu/article/italy-rejects-spain-border-control-ultimatum-ceuta-migrants/

 

Italy on Friday said it has no intention of suspending border checks on travelers from Spain, “a friendly country,” and rebuffed Madrid’s threats to retaliate if Rome maintains the emergency measures it instituted in response to the mass arrival of migrants in the Spanish exclave Ceuta last week.

 

“Italy does not accept ultimatums or demands from abroad regarding national security and border control,” the Office of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote in a statement.

 

Earlier in the day, the Spanish government had threatened to take “proportional measures” if Rome did not stop its reintroduced border checks and temporary suspension of the Schengen Agreement by Aug. 9.

 

In its statement, Rome said it would keep these controls in place “at least until August 15 and, in any case, until security and terrorism risks to Italy can be completely ruled out,” adding that a new “migratory wave” is expected in Ceuta on that date.

 

“Only when it is certain that there will be no security or terrorism risks for Italy, that there will be no new wave and that there are no irregular migrants heading toward European territory will it be possible to reconsider what has already been decided,” said the document.

Tucker Carlson Launches 10-Point Plan For America, Sparking Presidential Run Rumours

Killer who stalked women on the tube guilty of double murder

Simon Levy found GUILTY of MURDERING TWO women and raping third after Police failed to stop killer

Prolific sexual predator guilty of murdering two women and rape

AI just created viruses that never existed before: Should we be worried? | DW News

 

Trump Administration Live Updates: Appeals Panel Blocks Ballroom Project, Setting Up Likely Supreme Court Fight

 

Trump Administration Live Updates: Appeals Panel Blocks Ballroom Project, Setting Up Likely Supreme Court Fight

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/08/07/us/trump-news#trump-ballroom-appeals-court

 

Ballroom Ruling: President Trump cannot continue building the ballroom he planned as a replacement to the East Wing of the White House without explicit approval from Congress, a federal appeals court panel ruled on Friday. The ruling does not immediately halt construction, but it is a blow to the president and all but guarantees that the Supreme Court will decide the fate of the ballroom, one of Mr. Trump’s signature projects. Read more ›

 

Blanche Nomination: Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, said that he would support Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general, effectively saving the confirmation of President Trump’s pick after two other Republican senators said they would oppose him. Read more ›

 

U.S. Jobs Report: The labor market posted a modest loss of 23,000 positions in July, the Labor Department reported on Friday, and the unemployment rate dropped slightly to 4.1 percent as thousands of people left the labor force. The economy is grappling with renewed tariffs and higher costs driven by war in the Middle East. Follow our live coverage ›

 

The ruling is a blow to President Trump and all but guarantees the Supreme Court will decide the fate of one of his signature projects.

 

President Trump cannot continue building the ballroom he planned as a replacement to the East Wing of the White House without explicit approval from Congress, a federal appeals court panel ruled on Friday.

 

The ruling, by judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, dealt a blow to the president’s efforts to press ahead with the project and all but guaranteed that the Supreme Court will decide the ballroom’s fate. It upheld a lower court’s findings that no law or authority gave the president the power to raze and replace sections of the White House without congressional authorization.

Appeals court halts construction of Trump’s $400m White House ballroom

 

Appeals court halts construction of Trump’s $400m White House ballroom

 

National Trust for Historic ⁠Preservation sued last year after Trump administration tore down East Wing

 

Guardian staff

Fri 7 Aug 2026 16.02 BST

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/07/court-order-trump-white-house-ballroom-project

 

A US federal appeals court has ordered the Trump administration to halt construction of the US president’s $400m White House ballroom, in a fresh blow to the controversial project.

 

Donald Trump, who demolished the historic East Wing of the White House last year to make way for planned ballroom, has repeatedly touted it as “a gift” to the US people.

 

But in a major setback in a case testing ⁠his presidential authority, the Washington-based US ⁠court of ​appeals for the District of Columbia circuit upheld a preliminary injunction in a divided 2-1 order on Friday.

 

The injunction was won by the National Trust for Historic ⁠Preservation, which sued last year after the Trump administration tore down the East Wing and began building a 90,000 sq ft (8,360 sq meter) ballroom without seeking authorization from Congress.

 

The appeals court put ⁠its ruling on hold for two weeks, allowing the administration to appeal to the ​US supreme court.

It’s Time to Save America

"MAGA Was Betrayed" - Ben Shapiro Reacts to Tucker Carlson’s Political Revolt

Saagar And Ryan REACT: Tucker's THIRD PARTY Manifesto

"We Are TERRIFIED!" Israeli Settlers Rampage + Hamas Arms Deal | With Norman Finkelstein

Kemi Badenoch doubles down on support for former neo-Nazi

Kemi Badenoch on the ‘victim mentality’ of Farage and the left | Political Currency

Kemi Badenoch 'gives second chance' to former neo-Nazi

Reform And Restore: It Will Be ‘Difficult For Mr Lowe To Put An Ego Aside’ | Gawain Towler

Rupert Lowe asked: Is King Charles a white Briton? | BBC Radio 4 Today

 

PS diz que situação de Luís Neves “atingiu o limite do admissível” / PS says Luís Neves' situation "has reached the limit of what is admissible"

 

PS diz que situação de Luís Neves “atingiu o limite do admissível”

 

Líder parlamentar socialista Eurico Brilhante Dias exortou o primeiro-ministro a “pôr ordem no Governo” e a “tomar decisões difíceis”.

 

DN/Lusa

Publicado a:

07 Ago 2026, 09:11

Atualizado a:

07 Ago 2026, 09:11

https://www.dn.pt/pol%C3%ADtica/ps-diz-que-situao-de-lus-neves-atingiu-o-limite-do-admissvel?utm_source=website&utm_medium=related-stories

 

O PS defendeu esta sexta-feira, 7 de agosto, que a situação do ministro da Administração Interna “atingiu o limite do admissível no quadro do normal funcionamento das instituições” e exortou o primeiro-ministro a “pôr ordem no Governo” e a “tomar decisões difíceis”.

 

“São desenvolvimentos com especial gravidade. O assunto em torno do ministro da Administração Interna atingiu o limite do admissível no quadro do normal funcionamento das instituições. Já temos o Governo a investigar o Governo, a ministra da Justiça a promover o inquérito das atividades de um do seu colega de Governo”, criticou, em declarações à agência Lusa, o líder parlamentar do PS, Eurico Brilhante Dias.

 

Segundo o dirigente do PS, o primeiro-ministro “é o responsável exclusivo, único pela composição do Governo” e o líder socialista, José Luís Carneiro, já tinha transmitido a Luís Montenegro “que era muito urgente tomar as medidas necessárias para salvaguardar as instituições democráticas”.

 

“E, nesse sentido, mais uma vez exortamos o senhor primeiro-ministro a pôr ordem no Governo e a defender o respeito pelas instituições, que é aquilo que neste momento está em causa”, pediu.

 

Questionado se o único caminho para Luís Neves é sair do Governo, Eurico Brilhante Dias não respondeu diretamente e disse apenas: “o caminho central é o senhor primeiro-ministro exercer as funções de primeiro-ministro e colocar ordem no Governo. Isso passa por tomar seguramente decisões difíceis”.

 

Para o líder parlamentar do PS chegou-se a um “momento limite”.

 

“Nós já temos um membro do Governo que apela à Polícia Judiciária para abrir um inquérito a outro colega de Governo, neste caso o ministro da Administração Interna, que foi Diretor-Geral da Polícia Judiciária”, disse.

 

A PJ, de acordo com Eurico Brilhante Dias, está sob “um escrutínio de todo inédito”.

 

“O escrutínio é necessário, mas salvaguardar as instituições também e, neste momento, o Governo apresenta disfuncionalidades. É evidente que, neste momento, há dois ministros no Governo, um a promover o inquérito ao outro”, defendeu.

 

Para o dirigente do PS este é o momento de Luís Montenegro “assumir as suas responsabilidades” e “colocar ordem no Governo”.

 

“O PS não tem por norma pedir a demissão de membros do Governo. Mesmo no caso do ministro Fernando Alexandre que, por negligência política e incompetência criou uma autêntica barafunda na questão dos exames, salvaguardámos sempre que essa é uma decisão do primeiro-ministro e do próprio. Neste caso, dizemos mais, é naturalmente também uma decisão do próprio, mas é, acima de tudo, uma questão de respeito pelas instituições, de respeito pela Polícia Judiciária e, neste caso, garantindo que há um normal funcionamento das instituições”, respondeu, perante a insistência da pergunta sobre se Luís Neves se devia demitir.

 

Na quinta-feira foi conhecido que o Ministério da Justiça (MJ) ordenou uma auditoria interna à PJ na sequência das notícias sobre o funcionamento desta polícia no mandato do ex-diretor nacional e atual ministro da Administração Interna, Luís Neves.

 

“Foi determinada a realização de uma avaliação interna, destinada a enquadrar as questões que têm vindo a ser divulgadas pelos meios de comunicação social, notícias relativas ao funcionamento interno da PJ e aos processos de avaliação eventualmente instaurados pela Direção de Serviços de Disciplina e Inspeção, unidade da Polícia Judiciária, atentas as competências dessa direção”, confirmou o ministério à Lusa.

 

Segundo o ministério que tutela a PJ em paralelo, a Inspeção-Geral dos Serviços de Justiça (IGSJ) — que procede regularmente à auditoria e inspeção de todos os organismos da Justiça — realizará também uma auditoria à PJ.

 

Luís Neves saudou a realização desta auditoria, reiterou que está “absolutamente tranquilo” e “desejoso, se necessário for, de colaborar e contribuir” com o seu “conhecimento para essas questões”.

PS says Luís Neves' situation "has reached the limit of what is admissible"

 

Socialist parliamentary leader Eurico Brilhante Dias urged the prime minister to "put order in the Government" and to "make difficult decisions".

 

DN/Lusa

Published to:

07 Aug 2026, 09:11

Updated to:

07 Aug 2026, 09:11

https://www.dn.pt/pol%C3%ADtica/ps-diz-que-situao-de-lus-neves-atingiu-o-limite-do-admissvel?utm_source=website&utm_medium=related-stories

 

The PS defended this Friday, August 7, that the situation of the Minister of Internal Affairs "has reached the limit of what is admissible within the framework of the normal functioning of the institutions" and urged the prime minister to "put order in the Government" and to "make difficult decisions".

 

"These are developments with special gravity. The matter surrounding the Minister of Internal Affairs has reached the limit of what is admissible within the framework of the normal functioning of the institutions. We already have the Government investigating the Government, the Minister of Justice promoting the investigation of the activities of one of her Government colleagues", criticized, in statements to the Lusa agency, the parliamentary leader of the PS, Eurico Brilhante Dias.

 

According to the PS leader, the prime minister "is exclusively responsible, solely for the composition of the Government" and the socialist leader, José Luís Carneiro, had already conveyed to Luís Montenegro "that it was very urgent to take the necessary measures to safeguard democratic institutions".

 

"And, in this sense, once again we urge the Prime Minister to put order in the Government and to defend respect for the institutions, which is what is at stake at the moment," he asked.

 

Asked if the only way for Luís Neves is to leave the Government, Eurico Brilhante Dias did not answer directly and said only: "the central path is for the Prime Minister to exercise the functions of Prime Minister and put order in the Government. That certainly involves making difficult decisions".

 

For the parliamentary leader of the PS, a "limit moment" has been reached.

 

"We already have a member of the Government who calls on the Judiciary Police to open an investigation into another Government colleague, in this case the Minister of Internal Affairs, who was Director-General of the Judiciary Police," he said.

 

The PJ, according to Eurico Brilhante Dias, is under "unprecedented scrutiny".

 

"Scrutiny is necessary, but safeguarding the institutions is also necessary and, at the moment, the Government has dysfunctions. It is evident that, at the moment, there are two ministers in the Government, one promoting the inquiry to the other", he defended.

 

For the PS leader, this is the time for Luís Montenegro to "assume his responsibilities" and "put order in the Government".

 

"The PS does not have as a rule to ask for the resignation of members of the Government. Even in the case of Minister Fernando Alexandre who, due to political negligence and incompetence, created a real mess on the issue of exams, we have always safeguarded that this is a decision of the Prime Minister and himself. In this case, we say more, it is naturally also his own decision, but it is, above all, a matter of respect for the institutions, respect for the Judiciary Police and, in this case, ensuring that there is a normal functioning of the institutions", he replied, in the face of the insistence of the question about whether Luís Neves should resign.

 

On Thursday it was known that the Ministry of Justice (MJ) ordered an internal audit of the PJ following the news about the functioning of this police in the mandate of the former national director and current Minister of Internal Administration, Luís Neves.

 

"It was determined to carry out an internal evaluation, aimed at framing the issues that have been disseminated by the media, news regarding the internal functioning of the PJ and the evaluation processes eventually established by the Directorate of Discipline and Inspection Services, a unit of the Judiciary Police, given the competences of this directorate," the ministry confirmed to Lusa.

 

According to the ministry that oversees the PJ in parallel, the General Inspectorate of Justice Services (IGSJ) - which regularly audits and inspects all Justice bodies - will also carry out an audit of the PJ.

 

Luís Neves welcomed the completion of this audit, reiterated that he is "absolutely calm" and "desirous, if necessary, to collaborate and contribute" with his "knowledge to these issues".

Pressure on Luís Neves worsens with PJ audit and process at the Court of Auditors

 

Pressure on Luís Neves worsens with PJ audit and process at the Court of Auditors

Political pressure on the current Minister of Internal Affairs, Luís Neves, has intensified significantly after the opening of a case in  the Court of Auditors and the order for a global audit of the Judiciary Police (PJ).

The Process at the Court of Auditors

• Public Prosecutor's Office's indictment: The Public Prosecutor's Office requested the trial of Luís Neves and the former deputy national director, Luísa Proença, for alleged financial infractions in the management of the PJ in 2023.
• Origin of the case: The irregularities involve travel expenses for agents in urgent international operations to combat organized crime.
• Refusal of fine: The government official refused to pay the fine initially imposed by the Court of Auditors, opting to contest the charges in court.
• Neves' defense: The minister claims to be "absolutely calm" and assures that he was the one who demanded the judicial examination of the case.

Audit by the Minister of Justice

• In-depth oversight: The Minister of Justice ordered a management audit of the PJ and a full internal evaluation of Luís Neves' leadership period.
• Political reaction: Luís Neves publicly stated that the minister "ordered well" by moving forward with the inspection of the institution's accounts.

Failures in the Entity for Transparency

• Lack of declarations: It was revealed that Luís Neves did not submit the mandatory declarations of assets and income during his eight years at the head of the PJ.
• Justification given: The minister claims to have never been notified to that effect.
• Version of the instances: The Constitutional Court and the Entity for Transparency clarified that the PJ legally failed to communicate the beginning of the mandates of its former director.

 

Pressão sobre Luís Neves agrava-se com auditoria à PJ e processo no Tribunal de Contas / Pressure on Luís Neves worsens with PJ audit and process at the Court of Auditors

 

Política

Pressão sobre Luís Neves agrava-se com auditoria à PJ e processo no Tribunal de Contas

 

O ministro da Administração Interna soma duas novas frentes de pressão relacionadas com a sua liderança da Polícia Judiciária: uma auditoria determinada por Rita Alarcão Júdice e um processo no Tribunal de Contas por alegadas irregularidades financeiras. "Acho bem que todas essas auditorias, investigações, audições se façam para que no final toda a verdade venha ao de cima", reage ministro.

 

Cecília Carmo

Rui Frias

Cecília Carmo, Rui Frias

Publicado a:

07 Ago 2026, 00:49

https://www.dn.pt/pol%C3%ADtica/presso-sobre-lus-neves-agrava-se-com-auditoria-pj-e-processo-no-tribunal-de-contas

 

Adensa-se o clima de pressão sobre Luís Neves à frente do ministério da Administração Interna. Esta quinta-feira, a ministra da Justiça, Rita Alarcão Júdice, determinou a realização de uma auditoria da Inspeção-Geral dos Serviços de Justiça (IGSJ) à Polícia Judiciária (PJ) e de uma avaliação interna à liderança exercida por Luís Neves enquanto diretor nacional da instituição. A decisão surgiu no mesmo dia em que veio a público que o atual ministro da Administração Interna enfrenta um processo de responsabilidade financeira no Tribunal de Contas, relacionado com a gestão da PJ em 2023, acumulando assim a série de casos a envolver o atual MAI que têm sido revelados no último mês (ver abaixo).

 

Confrontado com a decisão da colega de Governo, Luís Neves disse estar "absolutamente tranquilo" e saudou a iniciativa de Rita Alarcão Júdice. "A senhora ministra da Justiça ordenou e ordenou bem", afirmou esta quinta-feira, à margem de uma ação de formação sobre a rede SIRESP, em Leiria. "Acho bem que todas essas auditorias, investigações, audições se façam para que no final toda a verdade venha ao de cima", acrescentou.

 

Segundo o Ministério da Justiça, a avaliação interna pretende enquadrar "as questões que têm vindo a ser divulgadas pelos meios de comunicação social" relativas ao funcionamento da Polícia Judiciária e a eventuais processos disciplinares, enquanto a IGSJ realizará uma auditoria ao organismo, no âmbito das suas competências de inspeção dos serviços da Justiça. "Foi determinada a realização de uma avaliação interna, destinada a enquadrar as questões que têm vindo a ser divulgadas pelos meios de comunicação social, notícias relativas ao funcionamento interno da Polícia Judiciária e aos processos de avaliação eventualmente instaurados pela Direção de Serviços de Disciplina e Inspeção, unidade da Polícia Judiciária, atentas as competências dessa direção. Em paralelo, a Inspeção-Geral dos Serviços de Justiça (IGSJ) - que procede regularmente à auditoria e inspeção de todos os organismos da Justiça -  realizará também uma auditoria à PJ", respondeu ao DN o ministério tutelado por Rita Alarcão Júdice.

 

Na mesma resposta, o ministério da Justiça esclarece ainda que “entendeu não se justificar solicitar à IGSJ a abertura de um processo de averiguações relativamente à deslocação do atrelado, porquanto essa matéria já é objeto de um processo de inquérito, dirigido pelo Ministério Público” - isto a propósito do atrelado apreendido pela PJ no âmbito de um processo de tráfico de droga e que foi posteriormente colocado, com autorização de Luís Neves, à guarda do empreiteiro de Barcelos que acumulou várias obras em instalações da PJ assim como numa propriedade do atual ministro da Administração Interna no Alentejo.

 

Neste dia, ficou também a conhecer-se que o Ministério Público junto do Tribunal de Contas requereu a abertura da fase jurisdicional de um processo de responsabilidade financeira que visa Luís Neves e a antiga diretora nacional-adjunta da PJ, Luísa Proença. O processo resulta da auditoria às contas da Polícia Judiciária relativas a 2023, que identificou diversas irregularidades na gestão financeira da instituição, entre as quais contratos relativamente aos quais o Tribunal de Contas concluiu que não foram integralmente observadas as regras da contratação pública.

 

Luís Neves rejeita, contudo, a leitura feita pelo Ministério Público e garante que foi o próprio a pedir a intervenção do Tribunal de Contas. "Fui eu que requeri a apreciação desta decisão do Ministério Público em sede do Tribunal de Contas", afirmou aos jornalistas.

 

O ministro sustenta que "todas as irregularidades identificadas foram plenamente justificadas em sede de contraditório, o que foi aceite" pelo Tribunal de Contas. Ainda assim, refere, o Ministério Público entendeu que, "num caso em particular, devia ser aplicada uma sanção pelo seu valor mínimo", decisão da qual discorda.

 

Segundo Luís Neves, esse caso estava relacionado com "uma operação urgente no âmbito do crime organizado transnacional e de caráter totalmente confidencial", circunstâncias que obrigaram à realização da despesa nos moldes adotados. E acrescentou que a situação resultou ainda de "fatores imputáveis à empresa fornecedora do serviço de transporte, que não enviou a respetiva fatura em tempo oportuno". "O método adotado para a aquisição das viagens permitiu uma poupança de milhares de euros ao Estado, como se virá a comprovar", defendeu o ministro, acrescentando que a decisão assegurou "o cumprimento urgente e sigiloso de uma ampla ação policial".

 

O certo é que, apesar do distanciamento público que tanto primeiro-ministro como Presidente da República têm mantido em relação à polémica que envolve o MAI - ainda ontem Seguro voltou a frisar apenas a "necessidade de preservar a integridade das instituições" -, os casos em redor de Luís Neves vão-se acumulando e a oposição, sobretudo à direita, promete não largar o alvo, com Chega e IL a insistirem no escrutínio parlamentar, seja com uma comissão de inquérito requerida pelo partido de Ventura ou com a audição urgente do ministro pedida pelos liberais.

 

Casos a envolver Luís Neves

Obras na propriedade de Odemira e relação com o empreiteiro

A polémica começou com a revelação de que a empresa Construbarcelos, que realizou obras na propriedade de Luís Neves em Odemira, recebeu cerca de 1,9 milhões de euros em contratos públicos da Polícia Judiciária durante o período em que o atual ministro dirigia a instituição. O caso levantou dúvidas sobre um eventual conflito de interesses e estendeu-se às características das obras, incluindo uma piscina sem licenciamento e intervenções numa zona sujeita a condicionantes ambientais.

 

Atrelado apreendido pela PJ entregue à Construbarcelos

O jornal Nascer do Sol revelou que um atrelado apreendido na Operação Pacoba, bem como outro material apreendido, esteve à guarda da Construbarcelos. Depois de um longo período de silêncio, Luís Neves assumiu ter autorizado essa entrega, classificando-a como "um puro ato de boa gestão". A Polícia Judiciária abriu um inquérito para apurar as circunstâncias da movimentação do bem e o Ministério Público dirige uma investigação autónoma.

 

Declarações de património e transparência

Foi também revelado que, durante os oito anos em que liderou a PJ, Luís Neves não apresentou as declarações de património previstas na lei junto da Entidade para a Transparência. O ministro afirma que nunca foi notificado para o efeito. A Entidade para a Transparência e o Tribunal Constitucional indicaram, contudo, que a PJ nunca comunicou o início dos seus mandatos, incumprindo as obrigações legais.

 

Processo no Tribunal de Contas

O Ministério Público junto do Tribunal de Contas requereu o julgamento de Luís Neves e da ex-diretora nacional-adjunta Luísa Proença por alegadas infrações financeiras relacionadas com a gestão da PJ em 2023. O ministro contesta as imputações e afirma ter sido ele próprio a requerer a apreciação judicial da decisão, sustentando que o caso se resume a dois factos relacionados com despesas de viagens realizadas no âmbito de uma operação urgente de combate ao crime organizado.

 

Auditoria ordenada pelo Ministério da Justiça

Na sequência da sucessão de notícias sobre o funcionamento interno da Polícia Judiciária durante a liderança de Luís Neves, a ministra da Justiça, Rita Alarcão Júdice, determinou ontem uma avaliação interna à instituição e uma auditoria da Inspeção-Geral dos Serviços de Justiça (IGSJ). O objetivo é analisar os procedimentos de gestão e as questões que têm vindo a ser divulgadas publicamente, sendo que o caso do atrelado ficou excluído por já estar a ser investigado pelo Ministério Público.

Politics

Pressure on Luís Neves worsens with PJ audit and process at the Court of Auditors

 

The Minister of Home Affairs adds two new fronts of pressure related to his leadership of the Judiciary Police: an audit ordered by Rita Alarcão Júdice and a process in the Court of Auditors for alleged financial irregularities. "I think it's good that all these audits, investigations, hearings are done so that in the end the whole truth comes out," reacts the minister.

 

Cecilia Carmo

Rui Frias

Cecília Carmo, Rui Frias

Published to:

07 Aug 2026, 00:49

https://www.dn.pt/pol%C3%ADtica/presso-sobre-lus-neves-agrava-se-com-auditoria-pj-e-processo-no-tribunal-de-contas

 

The climate of pressure on Luís Neves at the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is intensifying. This Thursday, the Minister of Justice, Rita Alarcão Júdice, ordered an audit by the General Inspectorate of Justice Services (IGSJ) to be carried out on the Judiciary Police (PJ) and an internal evaluation of the leadership exercised by Luís Neves as national director of the institution. The decision came on the same day that it became public that the current Minister of Internal Affairs faces a financial responsibility process at the Court of Auditors, related to the management of the PJ in 2023, thus accumulating the series of cases involving the current MAI that have been revealed in the last month (see below).

 

Confronted with the decision of his colleague in Government, Luís Neves said he was "absolutely calm" and welcomed Rita Alarcão Júdice's initiative. "The Minister of Justice ordered and ordered well," he said this Thursday, on the sidelines of a training session on the SIRESP network, in Leiria. "I think it's good that all these audits, investigations, hearings are done so that in the end the whole truth comes out," he added.

 

According to the Ministry of Justice, the internal evaluation aims to frame "the issues that have been disclosed by the media" regarding the functioning of the Judiciary Police and possible disciplinary proceedings, while the IGSJ will carry out an audit of the body, within the scope of its powers of inspection of the Justice services. "It was determined to carry out an internal evaluation, aimed at framing the issues that have been disseminated by the media, news regarding the internal functioning of the Judiciary Police and the evaluation processes eventually established by the Directorate of Discipline and Inspection Services, a unit of the Judiciary Police, given the competences of this directorate. In parallel, the General Inspectorate of Justice Services (IGSJ) - which regularly audits and inspects all Justice bodies - will also carry out an audit of the PJ", replied to DN the ministry under Rita Alarcão Júdice.

 

In the same response, the Ministry of Justice also clarifies that "it understood that it was not justified to ask the IGSJ to open an investigation process regarding the movement of the trailer, since this matter is already the subject of an investigation process, directed by the Public Prosecutor's Office" - this regarding the trailer seized by the PJ in the context of a drug trafficking case and which was later placed,  with the authorization of Luís Neves, in the custody of the contractor from Barcelos who accumulated several works in PJ facilities as well as in a property of the current Minister of Internal Administration in Alentejo.

 

On this day, it was also known that the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Auditors requested the opening of the jurisdictional phase of a financial responsibility case that targets Luís Neves and the former deputy national director of the PJ, Luísa Proença. The process results from the audit of the Judiciary Police's accounts for 2023, which identified several irregularities in the institution's financial management, including contracts for which the Court of Auditors concluded that public procurement rules were not fully complied with.

 

Luís Neves rejects, however, the reading made by the Public Prosecutor's Office and guarantees that it was he himself who asked for the intervention of the Court of Auditors. "I was the one who requested the consideration of this decision by the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Auditors," he told journalists.

 

The minister maintains that "all the irregularities identified were fully justified in the adversarial procedure, which was accepted" by the Court of Auditors. Even so, he says, the Public Prosecutor's Office understood that, "in a particular case, a sanction should be applied for its minimum value", a decision with which he disagrees.

 

According to Luís Neves, this case was related to "an urgent operation within the scope of transnational organized crime and of a totally confidential nature", circumstances that forced the expenditure to be carried out in the manner adopted. And he added that the situation also resulted from "factors attributable to the company providing the transport service, which did not send the respective invoice in a timely manner". "The method adopted for the acquisition of the trips allowed a saving of thousands of euros to the State, as will be proven", defended the minister, adding that the decision ensured "the urgent and confidential compliance with a broad police action".

 

What is certain is that, despite the public distance that both the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic have maintained in relation to the controversy involving the MAI - just yesterday Seguro again stressed only the "need to preserve the integrity of the institutions" - the cases around Luís Neves are accumulating and the opposition, especially on the right, promises not to let go of the target,  with Chega and IL insisting on parliamentary scrutiny, either with a commission of inquiry requested by Ventura's party or with the urgent hearing of the minister requested by the liberals.

 

Cases involving Luís Neves

Works on the Odemira property and relationship with the contractor

The controversy began with the revelation that the company Construbarcelos, which carried out works on the property of Luís Neves in Odemira, received about 1.9 million euros in public contracts from the Judiciary Police during the period in which the current minister headed the institution. The case raised doubts about a possible conflict of interest and extended to the characteristics of the works, including a swimming pool without a license and interventions in an area subject to environmental constraints.

 

Trailer seized by the PJ delivered to Construbarcelos

The newspaper Nascer do Sol revealed that a trailer seized in Operation Pacoba, as well as other seized material, was in the custody of Construbarcelos. After a long period of silence, Luís Neves assumed that he had authorized this delivery, classifying it as "a pure act of good management". The Judiciary Police has opened an investigation to ascertain the circumstances of the movement of the property and the Public Prosecutor's Office is conducting an autonomous investigation.

 

Asset and transparency declarations

It was also revealed that, during the eight years in which he led the PJ, Luís Neves did not submit the asset declarations provided for by law with the Entity for Transparency. The minister says that he was never notified to this effect. The Entity for Transparency and the Constitutional Court indicated, however, that the PJ never communicated the beginning of its mandates, failing to comply with legal obligations.

 

Procedure before the Court of Auditors

The Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Auditors requested the trial of Luís Neves and former deputy national director Luísa Proença for alleged financial infractions related to the management of the PJ in 2023. The minister disputes the accusations and claims to have requested the judicial review of the decision, arguing that the case boils down to two facts related to travel expenses carried out as part of an urgent operation to combat organized crime.

 

Audit ordered by the Ministry of Justice

Following the succession of news about the internal functioning of the Judiciary Police during the leadership of Luís Neves, the Minister of Justice, Rita Alarcão Júdice, yesterday ordered an internal evaluation of the institution and an audit by the General Inspectorate of Justice Services (IGSJ). The objective is to analyze the management procedures and issues that have been publicly disclosed, and the case of the trailer was excluded because it is already being investigated by the Public Prosecutor's Office.