The new political season in Spain is beginning, and one topic dominates the headlines - the crisis in Ceuta. The right-wing Popular Party and Vox are organizing a protest in support of the city's residents. They accuse the government of failure, inability to resolve the current situation and capitulation to Morocco, reports the website democrata.es.
Who is behind the disinformation campaign?
Earlier this week, Sanchez accused an “international far-right movement" with “links to Russia and Israel”, that it organized a large-scale disinformation campaign that led to the crisis on July 30, when in just a few hours nearly 80,000 people illegally crossed the border between Morocco and the Spanish exclave of Ceuta.
According to the Spanish Prime Minister, a report by the European External Action Service (EEAS) concluded that it was channels linked to Israel and Russia that spread misleading information that motivated tens of thousands of Moroccans to try to cross the border. According to Sanchez, this was a punishment for Madrid for its position on the wars in Gaza and Iran. The EEAS has not officially confirmed the information.
The opposition in Spain blames Morocco for the incident, but the Prime Minister denies having such evidence. At the same time, Spanish media reported that, according to border police, representatives of the Moroccan authorities gave instructions to the migrants on how to cross the border. A report on the subject has been submitted to the court, El Espanyol reported. The actions could also be linked to Moroccan claims to Ceuta and Melilla, which were confirmed by officials in Morocco after the incident in late July, the publication added.
The crisis in Ceuta continues
In an interview, Pedro Sanchez admitted that although most Moroccans left Ceuta within hours, about 5,000 are still in the Spanish exclave. According to regional president Juan Jesus Vivas, who represents the opposition People's Party, the number is 10,000. 1,200 of the migrants are unaccompanied minors who will be transferred to shelters on the Iberian peninsula, Sanchez announced. The rest must apply for asylum. Those who entered Spanish territory for economic reasons will be deported, the prime minister said.
Meanwhile, tensions in Ceuta are escalating, Politico reports. Several Spanish soldiers were injured last week after a group of migrants threw stones at them. On Sunday, three people were arrested on charges of throwing Molotov cocktails at a patrol.
Locals in the city of 80,000 have complained to Spanish and international media of chaos and attacks. "Usually, older people spend the summer at the beach, but they can't anymore," he told Politico. Khalid Ali Amar, who owns a restaurant near the beach "Trampoline", which migrants turned into a temporary camp in the summer.
Last week, Spain's chief prosecutor Teresa Peramato visited the city and confirmed that there was an increase in crime. At the same time, local authorities are also investigating a number of cases of violence against migrants.
Christians and Muslims have lived together in the city for decades, but in recent weeks tensions have been growing, writes “El Pais”. The publication tells how locals are afraid to leave their homes for fear of someone coming in and settling in them. At the same time, last week, residents of Ceuta stormed the migrant center and burned the belongings of the Moroccans there. "I will only return to Morocco dead," Handala Bektib, 20, told the Spanish publication, saying he cannot earn enough money back home to take care of his ailing father. On the other side are people like Africa Gonzalez, who is worried about her children, who have not been out for more than a month for fear of being attacked.
If a long-term solution is not taken soon, locals fear the violence will escalate. On September 1, Pedro Sánchez's government approved the allocation of 309 million euros for the exclave to cover the necessary humanitarian and infrastructure costs. The prime minister also said that King Felipe VI is expected to visit the North African city.