The Spanish government and the PP enter into an exchange of recriminations over Ceuta

MadridThe exchange of recriminations is not an anomaly in Spanish politics. And Ceuta, which has been experiencing a humanitarian emergency for weeks, is no exception. Pedro Sánchez's government now accuses the PP of going to Ceuta to "further strain" the situation, while the Popular Party raises its tone against the central executive and its crisis management. This is being done by the PP leadership, with Alberto Núñez Feijóo at the helm, but also by the president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas (PP), who, a day after meeting with government spokesperson Elma Saiz, stated that they feel "abandoned" by the central executive, in statements to the media on Tuesday afternoon. Hours earlier, Feijóo also criticized that Pedro Sánchez's executive is "absent" and "indifferent" to the situation in Ceuta.

"When we see the presence of the Popular Party, here in Ceuta, the question for me is very clear. Are they coming to collaborate, to improve the situation, or to take photos with agitators and strain [the situation]?" Saiz criticized, referring to the visit of the PP's deputy secretary, Cuca Gamarra, to the autonomous city this Tuesday. "We are not here to heat things up. We are here to demand, ask for, and claim normality for Ceuta," Gamarra stated. This Wednesday, Feijóo himself will travel there again.

Shortly after the arrival of tens of thousands of people in Ceuta on July 30, the Popular Party did not hesitate to travel to the autonomous city. Since then, various PP figures, starting with its leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, have visited the city and met with Juan Jesús Vivas's (PP) government. From Ceuta, they have criticized the Spanish government's management, holding them responsible for the migratory crisis. But they have also demanded the immediate expulsion of all immigrants. Gamarra herself took advantage of Tuesday's visit to reiterate this, and Vivas stated that it is a matter of "political will." "The Spanish government has the means [to do so]," he stated. The president of Ceuta had already warned the Spanish government with an ultimatum: if the situation is not resolved within thirty days, he has threatened to take legal action.

Sources from different Spanish government ministries consulted by ARA express surprise at the methods of Juan Jesús Vivas's (PP) government, with whom they acknowledge they usually work in a "cordial" manner regarding the management of the arrival and reception of immigrants. The executive of Pedro Sánchez links Vivas's change in tone to various factors: pressure from the PP leadership, but also pressure from Vox in Ceuta, which in the last elections narrowed the gap with Vivas, who has been in government for 25 years. At the same time, they point to the Ceuta president's need to avoid creating a "sense of permanence" for immigrants in the city. "He doesn't want anything that might suggest someone can stay. If spaces are opened now, it gives the impression that they might return in the future, and they don't want that," government sources indicate.

Saiz has defended the executive's response to criticism for taking almost twenty days to habilitate new spaces, some of which are on land belonging to the Ministry of Defence. During these weeks, thousands of minors have been queuing for hours in front of the National Police to register, enduring Ceuta's high temperatures because no space was provided for them either. However, many of the people who entered on July 30 went up to four days without food and receiving very little water, and it wasn't until almost a week later that the army mobilized tanker trucks so that immigrants, many of them minors, who were surviving outside the warehouses on the outskirts of Ceuta would have water.

"The government didn't need to come to Ceuta. The Spanish government is in Ceuta," Saiz stated, assuring that the ministry has a permanent presence there. Until a few days ago, the central executive focused on the border and its control, as well as the return of immigrants.

This Wednesday, Saiz avoided confirming on RNEthe return of all unaccompanied migrant minors to Morocco and insisted that any action must respect "the best interests of the child" and current legislation. The minister assured that Spain maintains talks with the European Commission and the Moroccan government on the situation and described Rabat as a "reliable partner". She also explained that the Spanish government and that of Ceuta are working with the Ministry of Childhood and Youth on the possible transfer of about 500 girls to the mainland, although she did not confirm that it would finally happen.