Key facts
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticized King Felipe VI for his lack of involvement in the Ceuta migration crisis.
- Sánchez stated that a royal visit to Ceuta and Melilla is warranted and recommended it to the King.
- Approximately 5,000 migrants who surged into Ceuta a month prior remain in the Spanish semi-exclave.
- Clashes have occurred in Ceuta, with migrants arrested for attacking Spanish military personnel.
- Sánchez denied his government ignored intelligence warnings about the migrant surge.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has publicly criticized King Felipe VI for his perceived lack of engagement with the ongoing migration crisis in Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous city in North Africa. Sánchez, in a radio interview, contrasted the monarch's absence with his own government's hands-on approach and emergency visit to the city.
Sánchez suggested that the head of state should visit Ceuta and Melilla, noting that while he has visited Ceuta four times in eight years as prime minister, King Felipe VI has not visited the cities during his ten-year reign. The prime minister appeared to reference a visit by former King Juan Carlos I in 2007, the last time a Spanish head of state visited Ceuta.
While declining to share details of his private conversations with the King, Sánchez indicated he had recommended a royal visit, which he believes will occur when conditions are suitable. Historically, Spanish monarchs have played a role in relations with Morocco, though Felipe VI does not reportedly have the same close ties with Morocco's King Mohammed VI as his father did.
Despite earlier government and EU statements suggesting most migrants had returned to Morocco, Sánchez stated that approximately 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta. The city has seen recent clashes, with migrants arrested for attacking military personnel and locals setting fire to migrant shelters. Sánchez expressed solidarity with Ceuta's residents and compared the situation to previous migrant entries into the Canary Islands.
Around 1,200 unaccompanied minors will be relocated to the Iberian Peninsula, while most other migrants are subject to deportation due to entering for economic reasons. Sánchez attributed the surge to human-smuggling mafias and online campaigns orchestrated by Russia, Israel, and an international far-right group, while carefully avoiding blame on Moroccan authorities, emphasizing cooperation is key.
Addressing internal government discrepancies, Sánchez stated that while intelligence services detected an increase in illegal entries prior to the crisis, the alerts did not predict its magnitude. He also defended his decision to take a vacation shortly after the crisis, asserting that politicians need rest but do not fully disconnect.
Looking ahead, Sánchez expressed his intention to complete his current term and potentially seek reelection, while warning against the rise of the far-right Vox party.