Sánchez defends Morocco's "cooperation" and says Felipe VI will visit Ceuta

MadridIt had been a month since he last spoke publicly and faced criticism everywhere regarding the Spanish government's management of Ceuta. Pedro Sánchez chose this Monday, August 31st, exactly 30 days after calling the massive influx of migrants a "violation of the territorial integrity" of the State, to break his silence and defend his decisions at the head of the executive. Without self-criticism, in an interview with la Ser, Sánchez dissociated Morocco from the crisis, pointed to the "far-right" international, and opined that there are "arguments and reasons" for King Felipe VI to visit the autonomous city. A visit he announced would happen, but without specifying dates: nor do sources from the Royal Household want to reveal anything and limit themselves to saying they will "work" with the Spanish government for it to take place.

The fact that the monarch visits the autonomous city is an exceptional matter and a fact that had generated controversy because the right wing insinuated that Felipe VI wanted to go there and the Spanish government did not authorize it. In fact, the PP has interpreted the move as a lack of respect from Sánchez towards the monarchy, considering the tone he used during the interview: the Spanish president emphasized that the head of state has not set foot there since 2007, unlike himself, who has visited Ceuta up to four times since taking office in 2018 — he said. The last and only time in democracy a head of state went to Ceuta was twenty years ago during the government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, with the visit of Juan Carlos I and Sofia, but it generated a clash with Morocco due to its territorial claim over Ceuta and Melilla. "If Alberto Nuñez Feijóo were president now, he would visit Ceuta with the king," stated PP spokesperson Borja Sémper, as the party interprets that if Felipe VI has not gone there, it is because Moncloa has not allowed him to.

The other most relevant issue from Sánchez's interview on La Ser has been Morocco's exculpation from the entire crisis. A thesis defended only by the PSOE, since both the opposition and its partners point out that it is impossible for the Alawite country not to have detected the movement of more than 70,000 people heading towards the border. "The experience I have is one of instantaneous and immediate cooperation from the Moroccan authorities," Sánchez assured, adding, moreover, that Morocco is an essential partner for resolving the current crisis, with the idea that it should collaborate in the repatriation of the migrants who are currently still in the autonomous city.

What, then, is the origin of the crisis? According to the Spanish president, although he said that the "investigation" is still ongoing, it all began with a "distortion" of the Supreme Court's ruling that rejected pushbacks if entering by sea and with an amplification of 'fake news' by mafias, the "far-right international," Israel, and Russia. "Conspiranoia," the PP reacted to Sánchez's hypothesis, in addition to reproaching him for blaming everyone for the crisis except himself: "He only failed to blame Franco," Sémper said. The explanations did not satisfy the rest of the groups either, who accuse him of being lenient with the Alawite country. Vox has called for the suspension of the friendship treaty with Morocco, while Sumar and Podemos have once again pointed to the regime as also responsible for the crisis.

In fact, the PP has reproached Sánchez for the Spanish government's inability to weave a single narrative about the crisis, alluding to the clash between Defense and Interior over whether or not there were warnings from the CNI. What happened, according to Sánchez? During the interview, the Spanish president defended that there was no information about the magnitude of the massive influx of migrants, which does not mean that what Defense says is not true. In fact, for Sánchez they are not contradictory versions: he recounted that the CNI warned of an increase in entries to Ceuta by swimming, but not of the dimension of what happened, so the reinforcement at the border was not sufficient. "No one predicted that we would have an influx of that magnitude," he said, nor did other intelligence services with whom Spain usually collaborates.

Places to house migrants

The Spanish president began the interview by giving figures on Ceuta: he said that around 72,000 people entered —of whom he said most returned in the following days thanks to collaboration with Morocco— and that currently there are 5,000 left in Ceuta, 1,200 of whom are minors. He did not know how many are currently being attended to. "In a short time we will have the capacity to welcome them," he promised. Sources from the Ministry of Migrations, headed by Elma Saiz, explained this Monday that the Spanish government has so far opened 3,300 new places to accommodate migrants in Ceuta for temporary care. A figure that shows that it does not yet cover the needs of the 5,000 people remaining in the city, although the executive has committed to reaching 6,000.

Sánchez has assured that "the majority of migrants who entered did so for economic and not humanitarian reasons", so he has predicted that most people will have to return to Morocco because they will not have the right to asylum. In this sense, he said that the priority is to return them to their place of origin and resolve the files in the autonomous city itself, without transferring them to the Peninsula, a will that could further strain Ceuta given how long the city has been in this situation. Regarding minors, the Ministry of Youth is working to bring 700 girls in a situation of special vulnerability.

Sánchez wants to finish the term

For Sánchez, the Spanish executive has been at the forefront throughout the crisis and has ruled out any errors or late management, despite having declared a single command in Ceuta a month later. Furthermore, he has defended his "right to rest" against those who reproach him for taking holidays.

In this regard, Sánchez has once again defended that there are arguments to move forward with the legislature and exhaust it until the end, reaffirming that the elections will be in 2027 and that, even, he could opt to wait to call them after the municipal and regional elections. A scenario that several socialist barons, who prefer Sánchez to face the polls before them, are wary of. What does the PSOE leader say to these critics? In addition to specifying that they are a "minority," he said that his intention is to run again as a candidate in 2027 and recalled that four years ago he achieved a better result in the general elections than the PSOE did in the regional and local elections.