"Ceuta has been invaded": the European Parliament takes a position against Sánchez's version
The text, promoted by the EPP and approved with the votes of the extreme right, demands "responsibility" from Morocco and attacks the Spanish government
BrusselsThe European Parliament approved this Thursday a resolution that qualifies the arrival of 80,000 migrants in Ceuta as an "invasion." The text, promoted by the European People's Party, went ahead with 339 votes in favor, 225 against, and 16 abstentions, thanks to the support of the far-right groups in the Eurochamber, in one more sign that Brussels' rhetoric on immigration is hardening at a forced march.
The motion demands that Morocco respect in an "unconditional" and "non-negotiable" manner Spanish sovereignty and its territorial integrity, and urges Rabat to assume its responsibilities regarding border control. The text asks Moroccan authorities to fulfill their responsibilities as a "key partner" of the European Union regarding border management, returns, and migration cooperation, and warns that any statement that questions Spanish sovereignty is "unacceptable" and incompatible with this partner role.
The document attacks the Spanish government. It demands that it reinforce the security, stability, and development of Ceuta and Melilla and make more effective use of European mechanisms to "accelerate returns." At the same time, it asks it to strengthen "cooperation with countries of origin and transit to guarantee effective migration management." It also notes that the Assembly of Ceuta unanimously requested the closing of the border, a national emergency, and the deployment of the Armed Forces, and that Pedro Sánchez's executive did not heed these requests. And it points out that it took almost a month to formally request the reinforcement of Frontex, Europol, and the EUAA (August 28), "despite numerous offers from the Commission."
Regarding the decision of the National Court to take on an investigation into the events, the Eurochamber asks the Spanish government to "fully cooperate" with the authorities, as it considers that the massive entry of migrants may "constitute a serious attack against the territorial integrity of Spain."
The text had the unanimous support of the European People's Party, Patriots for Europe (Marine Le Pen's group), and European Conservatives and Reformists (Giorgia Meloni's formation). The Europe of Sovereign Nations group—of which Alternative for Germany is a part—voted divided.
The popular MEP Dolors Montserrat has reacted to the vote by attacking Sánchez, calling for him to "immediately apply the European Pact on Migration and Asylum." "Europe achieves in 3 days what Sánchez has not done in 50," the Catalan leader wrote on X. And she added that the European Parliament is also sending a "clear message" to Morocco: "Spain's sovereignty and territorial integrity are not up for negotiation. They are to be respected. Unconditionally."
At the beginning of August, twenty-two heads of state and government of the EU had already demanded a coordinated European response to the crisis in Ceuta, with similar requests for the reinforcement of Frontex and cooperation with Morocco. The letter pointed to the regularization of more than a million migrants promoted by the Spanish government as one of the causes, and warned that irregular entry into the EU must not be allowed to become a legal stay.
