Large crowds gathered in the capital Madrid as thousands protested in cities across Spain against the government's handling of the influx of migrants to the Spanish exclave of Ceuta on the north African coast. Spanish opposition parties accuse Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of abandoning the residents of Ceuta, while the government states that right-wing parties are exploiting the crisis. On Wednesday, a police report indicated that Moroccan security forces showed "total permissiveness" during the unprecedented influx, following Sánchez's insistence that Morocco was not responsible. He has attributed the situation to trafficking gangs and online misinformation encouraging crossings, while Morocco has denied any involvement in the mass crossing.
At least 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta on July 30 and 31, and although most have returned, as many as 5,000 remain in makeshift camps or scattered across the city, leading to unrest and a crisis for Sánchez. There have been near-daily protests by locals, with demonstrators calling for the migrants to be sent back to their countries of origin or redistributed across Spain.
Wednesday's rallies were organized by city councils across Spain where opposition parties, including the conservative Partido Popular (PP) and the far-right Vox party, govern or hold significant popularity. Demonstrators called for Sánchez's resignation. PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo attended the rally in Madrid, where more than 50,000 people gathered, according to government figures. He stated, "A Spanish city has been invaded, occupied and, unfortunately, this happened with the knowledge of the Government of Spain." Vox leader Santiago Abascal claimed Sánchez was "at the service, like a lackey, of the Moroccan regime."
In Ceuta, participants at a major rally chanted, "Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta must be defended." David Hernandez, a 45-year-old teacher, told Reuters, "The response has been inadequate, late and, to top it all, has involved a complete dereliction of duty on the part of the government. We cannot be second-class citizens, and our border must not be sidelined."
Pressure on Sánchez's government has increased after Spanish media reported that a document submitted by the National Police's National Immigration and Borders Centre (CENIF) to the National Court pointed to the involvement of Moroccan gendarmes in the migrant crossings. The police report suggested that the Moroccan police deployment around the border was "clearly smaller than usual" and included accounts from migrants describing a "passive attitude" during the crossings. However, the report did not definitively accuse Morocco of orchestrating the influx.
Reports indicate that sexual assaults occur almost daily in Ceuta, as thousands of migrants remain weeks after the initial crossing. Morocco has a long-standing claim over Ceuta and Melilla, which have historically been points of contention in diplomatic relations between the two countries. In August, numerous social media posts portrayed the border fence between Morocco and Ceuta as safe and easy to cross, despite at least 100 fatalities reported while attempting to swim around the border fence, according to the mayor's figures. A Spanish fact-checking website, Maldita, noted that prior to July 30, messages circulated on Moroccan social media encouraging crossings following a June ruling by Spain's Supreme Court.