Spanish Navy Chief Refutes Calls to Block Migrant Boats, Citing Maritime Law

Admiral Antonio Piñeiro stated that the primary mission of the Spanish Navy is to rescue migrants in distress at sea, not to combat illegal immigration, emphasizing maritime law over political ideology.

20 sept 2025 - 04:55 • 3 min read

Admiral General Antonio Piñeiro, the highest-ranking officer in the Spanish Navy, has firmly rejected the notion that military vessels should be used to intercept and block migrant boats. Speaking at a defense forum, Piñeiro emphasized that maritime law dictates the Navy's primary role in such situations is to save lives.

During an exchange with Javier Ortega Smith, a representative from the far-right party Vox, Piñeiro stated, "I am going to be very clear. It is a mandate that the Law of the Sea dictates: the Navy, if it finds a canoe at sea, its main mission is to save people if they are in danger. And that's that." He was responding to Ortega Smith's inquiry about increasing the permanent presence of military vessels in areas like the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta, Melilla, and the Canary Islands to counter irregular migration.

Piñeiro, who has served for over 40 years in the Navy, clarified that directives for combating illegal immigration should come from political bodies, not the military. While acknowledging that the military can assist countries of origin in surveillance efforts, he stressed that the operational directives are a political matter.

His remarks come amidst ongoing political debate, with Vox repeatedly advocating for the armed forces to play a more direct role in stopping migrant arrivals. This is not the first time a high-ranking military official has pushed back against such proposals. In the past, the Chief of Defense Staff, Admiral Teodoro López Calderón, also affirmed that the obligation of any Spanish warship is to rescue those in peril at sea.

Piñeiro drew upon his personal experiences to illustrate the gravity of the situation. He recounted instances where, as a commander, he faced the agonizing decision of prioritizing which groups of shipwrecked individuals to rescue, knowing that not all could be saved. He described the "impotence" of seeing hundreds of people in the water, unable to swim, and having only limited capacity to rescue them.

"To have 250 or 300 people in the water who don't know how to swim, who are going to drown. And you with a RIB or two [rigid-hulled inflatable boats] that can carry 10 or 20, and you have to choose between one and another, knowing that by the time you go and come back, the one you were going to pick up is no longer there... That is very hard," Piñeiro stated, noting the psychological impact these rescue operations can have on military personnel.

While Piñeiro's response was seen by some as directly countering Vox's stance, the party later suggested on social media that the admiral had been unduly influenced by the current government. Piñeiro, who assumed his current role in 2023, has been described by colleagues as direct, frank, and a strong leader.

Separately, in a different political context, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the President of the Community of Madrid, addressed issues of ideology and identity. Speaking at the opening of the university academic year, Ayuso criticized both the left and Vox, asserting that educational institutions should not be "instruments of social engineering" or sites for "ideological wars." She also emphasized that individuals should not be subjected to vetoes based on their race, nationality, religion, sex, or origin, a statement seen as a divergence from some of Vox's proposals, such as banning the Islamic veil in public spaces. Ayuso argued that such prohibitions would contravene the Spanish Constitution and fundamental rights.