Albares raises the tone in Ceuta: "Until the last person who entered irregularly will be returned"

MadridWhile in Ceuta they continue in a situation of humanitarian emergency hundreds of migrant people who entered swimming from Morocco on July 30, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, has been forceful regarding their future in the autonomous city: "Up to the last person who has entered [irregularly] will be returned," he said at a press conference this Tuesday, after meeting with the president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas (PP). In fact, Vivas demanded the "immediate return" of the migrants on Monday, but also the opening of a center for the internment of foreigners (CIE) for the "confinement" of the migrants while the expulsion is processed. Albares has not specified any timeframe.

It is the first time that the head of Foreign Affairs has traveled to Ceuta since the migratory crisis, the deadliest on the southern border since records have been kept. And he has been one of the members of the Spanish government who have most raised their voices regarding the situation of the immigrants who have remained, many of whom continue to sleep rough more than ten days after their arrival. Faced with the collapse of institutional spaces, there are minors – more than 1,400 have already been registered – still awaiting reception, and hundreds of people waiting to be able to initiate the process of applying for asylum. As a general rule, an asylum seeker cannot be returned, expelled, or rejected while their case is being studied, as enshrined in the principle of non-refoulement.

The Spanish government seeks Morocco's complicity to make this possible. Albares has assured that he is in permanent contact with his counterpart in Morocco, Nasser Bourita, so that this return becomes effective. "The will [of Morocco] is to cooperate," he said, and assured that if thousands of migrants returned just a few hours after the massive entry, it was "thanks" to their predisposition. "There is no quid pro quo [with Morocco]," stated the minister when asked if any parallel agreement had been negotiated with Mohammed VI's regime to facilitate the return of Moroccans who have fled the country. In 2022, after the last migratory crisis in Ceuta, to resolve the diplomatic shock it triggered, the Spanish government undertook a historic shift on Western Sahara, recognizing Morocco's plan.

"We speak every day [with Nasser Bourita], even several times a day," revealed Albares. The Moroccan government, through the media outlet "Hespress", said this Monday that it would ask Spain for the return of minors – the Spanish government, in fact, will prioritize the family reunification of all of them as usual. Responding to press questions about the specific case of the children, Albares acknowledged that "there is [specific] legislation" for this reunification to be carried out with guarantees, but immediately insisted on the "will" for return. In 2024, the Supreme Court confirmed the conviction of Spain for the irregular return of some unaccompanied minors who had entered Ceuta in the summer of 2021. At that time, the State did not apply the Spanish legislation affecting underage migrants, and the Supreme Court ruled that "the rights to the physical and moral integrity of minors were violated".

They spoke with the president of Ceuta, precisely, about the "rapid return" of people, the strengthening of the border, and "preventing" similar situations in the future, said the minister. Albares did not mention the lack of healthcare assistance that Ceuta's doctors have reported or the unsanitary situation in which many migrants find themselves. "I want to address all those who are listening to us from some country in Africa or Morocco. Do not risk your lives, your money, your future on a doomed adventure [...] Whoever enters Ceuta or Melilla must know that they will not be able to enter the Peninsula, nor the European continent," he assured. His words come a day after Italy and Denmark once again joined forces against "uncontrolled immigration" and demanded repatriation centers again.

However, the Ministry of Equality has asked the Prosecutor's Office to investigate the statements made in various interviews by the Secretary General of Vox in Congress, José María Figaredo, about migrants in Ceuta. In his statements, Figaredo has made several calls for the "hunting and fishing" of migrants, and has insisted on calling their arrival an "invasion." Therefore, Equality has requested the public ministry to study whether these statements could constitute a hate crime.

Robles, in the Senate

Meanwhile, the PP has assured that the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, will appear next Tuesday in the Senate to give explanations about the crisis in Ceuta, according to PP sources in the Senate. Spanish government sources, on the other hand, do not consider it a done deal and indicate that a response to the request will be given this Wednesday. The Spanish government's intention was to leave the appearance for the last week of August in Congress, along with those of the Ministers of the Interior and Foreign Affairs.