Ceuta Day, held on September 2 for Spain’s North African city of Ceuta, also became the scene of protests against the government’s irregular migration policy this year. The demonstrations, held in Madrid and other major cities across the country, were backed by the main opposition right-wing People’s Party and the far-right Vox.
Thousands of people took part in the protests, which were organized at the call of the Federation of Municipalities, carrying Spanish flags. The demonstrators supported Ceuta remaining under Spanish sovereignty, called for a solution to the city’s irregular migration crisis and protested the minority left-wing coalition government’s handling of the crisis.
Slogans calling for the government’s resignation were chanted in the squares. The protests took place about a month after the irregular migrant influx in Ceuta.
Opposition calls for early elections
People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo accused Pedro Sánchez of failing to ensure the country’s security and defend Spain’s territorial integrity. Feijóo argued that the irregular migrant influx toward Ceuta was carried out from Morocco and that there were indications the operation had been coordinated by Morocco.
Feijóo also called for the resignation of Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, whom he said had made statements defending the Moroccan administration. The People’s Party leader additionally demanded that Sánchez immediately take the country to early elections.
Vox leader Santiago Abascal, speaking at the demonstration in Madrid, accused Sánchez in strong terms and alleged that the prime minister was serving the Moroccan administration.
Report sparks controversy
A report published by the right-wing newspaper El Español became the focus of Spain’s political debate on the day of the demonstrations. The report, prepared by the police through the National Immigration and Border Center, warned that tens of thousands of irregular migrants could make a mass entry into Ceuta on July 30. It also indicated that Moroccan security forces may have organized the process.
Prime Minister Sánchez and ministers from the Socialist Workers’ Party, which is part of the coalition government, said they had received no warning from intelligence units before the migrant influx. Government members also said there was no indication that the Moroccan administration was behind the events.
The CENIF report and some footage published on social media brought the allegations that Moroccan security forces had organized the migrants back into the spotlight. However, Director-General of Police Francisco Pardo announced that there was no police report attributing the planning or execution of the events in Ceuta on July 30 and 31 to Moroccan security forces. Despite this statement, the opposition’s calls for resignation continued.
Prime Minister Sánchez is expected to speak in the plenary session of the Spanish Parliament about the events in Ceuta.
Crossings into Ceuta took place on July 30 and 31
On July 30 and 31, approximately 70,000 irregular migrants swam from the coast of Morocco’s Fnideq to Spain’s North African city of Ceuta. Following the events, the Spanish government mobilized its available resources and decided to deploy the armed forces to the region to ensure security in response to the rising number of irregular migration attempts.
The number of irregular migrants who died while attempting to cross from Morocco into Spain was given as 88.
