The Business of Hosting Immigrants. Today: J. J. Vivas

The autonomous city of Ceuta has awarded two multimillion-euro contracts for the management of minor reception services to companies linked to relatives of high officials of **Juan Jesús Vivas**, justifying the decision on grounds of emergency.

## Multimillion-euro contracts during volatile times

Amid the migration crisis, the autonomous city of **Ceuta** formalized two contracts totaling more than **5.7 million euros**, awarded without prior publicity. The contracts, dated **August 27, 2026**, were signed during a day marked by violent incidents and demonstrations against immigration. One of the contracts, valued at **3,267,698.08 euros**, went to the company **Absercon**, whose owner and sole administrator is **Bartolomé Sánchez-París Contreras**. His brother, **Javier Sánchez-París Contreras**, serves as an advisor in the autonomous government and administrative secretary of the presidency. Their father, **Francisco Sánchez París**, served as Vivas's chief of staff between **2006 and 2011** and was a close friend of the president.

## Furnishing and fitting out facilities for minors

The second contract, valued at **2,483,175 euros**, was for the acquisition of furniture, appliances, and cleaning products for minor reception facilities. This order went to **Ferretería Doncel**, managed by **Manuel Jesús Doncel de Luna**. He is a first cousin of **Juan Manuel Doncel**, President of the Port of **Ceuta** and another close associate of **Vivas**, who appointed him as a development counselor in **2008** and later President of the Port in **2019**. The Ceuta government admitted that the contracts were awarded without public tender but argued they fall under Article **120** of the Public Sector Contracts Law, which allows for emergency contracting in exceptional situations.

## Justification of the urgency

The autonomous city maintains that the processing of these contracts adhered to the emergency modality due to the "exceptional situation" caused by the mass influx of immigrants on **July 30 and 31, 2026**. According to their argument, the urgency required immediate action to enable reception spaces, adapt facilities, and provide supplies, which would have been incompatible with the timelines of a standard bidding procedure. They assert that this contracting route, although without publicity, is supported by technical and legal reports justifying the need for immediate action, without this implying a lack of control or administrative file. Parallel to these events, the central government approved an injection of **65 million euros** and a shock plan of **309 million** at the end of August to address the migration crisis in **Ceuta**.