Sánchez denounces a "violation of the territorial integrity" of the State due to the crisis in Ceuta

MadridThe migratory crisis in Ceuta, which has already resulted in the deaths of over 30 migrants, far exceeds that of 2021. "It is a violation of Spain's territorial integrity. Ceuta is a Spanish city and yesterday's events deserve all rejection and condemnation," stated the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, this Friday from the autonomous city, where he traveled urgently with the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska. Both have linked this crisis directly after the serious fires in the country. After meeting with local and regional authorities, Sánchez announced an "immediate repatriation" of migrants who entered Ceuta from Morocco irregularly — the Interior Ministry has estimated 50,000 migrants entered since Thursday, 25,000 of whom reportedly returned to Morocco "voluntarily" by Friday midday. The Spanish Prime Minister, however, did not specify how or when. "As soon as possible," added Sánchez, who promised that "all necessary resources" would be allocated. In fact, he also announced the deployment of buoys on the Ceuta jetty to act as a "containment barrier." "It is urgent to restore normality and, above all, not to put coexistence at risk," he said at a press conference.

One of the questions that has been looming since Thursday is what lies behind this unprecedented crisis. And here, the right and the left clash. So do the Spanish government and the opposition. While Pedro Sánchez's executive links it to "mafias [...] who traffic many young people," in the words of the Prime Minister himself; the PP of Alberto Núñez Feijóo, but also Vox, have not hesitated to point to the extraordinary regularization process initiated by the central executive, which ended on June 30. "[The crisis in Ceuta] is the result of not having a migration policy. Of giving away papers to everyone and regularizing over a million migrants at once," denounced the Secretary-General of the PP, Miguel Tellado, at a press conference this Friday from Asturias. The European People's Party, as well as governments like Italy's Giorgia Meloni, have joined this framework.

"This crisis has nothing to do with the regularization of migrants approved, as is falsely being said from some quarters," Interior Ministry sources indicated Thursday night. From the Ministry of Social Security and Migration, they add that "it is evident that anyone who tries to relate the current situation [in Ceuta and Melilla] with the [regularization] procedure is simply lying or wants to fuel a false rumor with some particular interest," indicate sources from that department.

Review of the immigration law

Sánchez has even been more precise. When he referred to criminal organizations, he also spoke about the recent ruling by the Supreme Court which confirmed that the hot returns of migrants trying to reach Spain by swimming are illegal, and expressly distinguished them from the specific regulations surrounding the Melilla fence. "The mafias are taking a biased interpretation of the Supreme Court ruling [...] It seems that [the interpretation of the ruling] spread like wildfire through social networks and caused the avalanche [of people] throughout yesterday]," he stated. The Spanish president said that an increase in arrivals was already recorded just after the ruling.

However, experts consulted by ARA this Thursday pointed out that the Supreme Court has not now made these returns illegal, but rather that this practice was already not in compliance with the law. They criticize that this is generating a certain alarmism of a lack of control at the borders when it was already anticipated that the route through Ceuta was on the rise since the beginning of the year. Sánchez has opened himself up this Friday to a possible reform of the immigration law to guarantee "efficient border repatriations".

The Spanish Prime Minister has arrived in Ceuta with the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, this Friday morning. Both have met with local and regional authorities and with the State security forces. Before that, the head of the Spanish executive held a conversation with Felipe VI and the President of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vives, to analyze the migratory crisis, according to EFE sources.

Trickle of fatalities

Meanwhile, the death toll of migrants attempting to enter swimming from Morocco to Ceuta continues to rise, and by Friday midday it had already reached more than thirty. Also the collapse at the border, where the army has even been deployed. And different social organizations have warned of a humanitarian "collapse" in the city. Both the Ceuta and Melilla borders were closed for a few hours coinciding with the so-called Operation Strait Crossing, which takes place from June 15 to September 15 and had marked August 1 and 2 as a critical weekend.

The right and far-right continued throughout Friday to vehemently criticize the Spanish government's management in Ceuta. The PP, in addition to criticizing the extraordinary regularization and calling for a reform of the current immigration law, has called for declaring a national emergency — the president of Ceuta and formations like Podem have also demanded this —. At the same time, the Popular Party has registered a request in Congress for an urgent appearance by Pedro Sánchez due to the "very serious migratory crisis situation." In addition, it has registered a request for the Permanent Deputation to be convened so that an extraordinary plenary session can be held "as soon as possible."

Morocco's role

In parallel, after some voices pointed to a passivity from Morocco regarding the migratory crisis, Pedro Sánchez has insisted that "cooperation" is underway with Moroccan authorities to restore normality. "I thank them for their cooperation," he insisted. In 2021, when the last major migratory crisis in Ceuta occurred, it was the diplomatic shock between Rabat and Madrid that precisely triggered the massive entry of people. "We need to cooperate with countries of origin and transit if we truly want to contain irregular migrant flows," Sánchez said. The Spanish government insists that if the arrival of people irregularly has been reduced in recent years (they estimate a 40% drop in 2025), it is because there has been "reasonable collaboration" with countries like Morocco.