The fallout from the border breach in Ceuta by Moroccan migrants is being keenly felt days after the authorities declared the crisis resolved. Religious communities hit the streets of Ceuta last Sunday, calling for tighter immigration controls whilst criticising Madrid for “abandonment.”
On Sunday, after midday, representatives of Ceuta’s four religious communities, including Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu, led hundreds of people in a rally in the central square, urging a resolution to the migration crisis and tighter security. Some of them then marched to the city’s government delegation building, chanting “Ceuta is not for sale” and “Sánchez, resign.”
Ceuta’s President, Juan Jesús Vivas, also called on the city’s residents to take part in the rally and emphasised that it was intended to remain free of party-political divisions.
“This is not anyone’s gathering. It is not a gathering organised by any political party. It is not a gathering to benefit anyone in particular,” he said on Saturday. “It is a call to make clear that Ceuta will not give in, that Ceuta will move forward.”
Vivas said that after the 2021 border crisis and the current crisis, the Spanish government “has stumbled twice over the same stone.” In the space of 48 hours in late July, a number of people equivalent to the entire local population entered the city. The government stated the crisis resolved, as the majority of migrants have returned. In the meantime, according to official estimates, roughly five thousand people remain in the city.
“The only way out is via Morocco through the Tarajal border crossing,” Vivas stated during a meeting with the Minister for Youth and Children, Sira Rego. He urged the government to allocate more resources, describing the situation as unsustainable.
As of now, the government identified 1,342 minors, although the rest have not yet been registered. Rego defended family reunification “whenever possible,” but pointed out that “many of the unaccompanied migrant boys and girls do not have families, so in these cases the autonomous communities must act as their guardians and guarantee their rights.”
Crisis in relations with Italy
The crisis has also been exacerbated by the temporary reinstatement of controls at Spain’s ports and airports for travellers arriving from Italy, after Rome refused to lift the checks it had introduced for passengers arriving from Spain at the start of the crisis.
Following Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s announcement of tough measures against Spain in the wake of the border breach, the tone gradually softened, culminating in all EU countries expressing their support. Nevertheless, Italy’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Antonio Tajani, described Spain’s decision to respond to Italian border controls with similar measures as “incomprehensible and totally unacceptable.”
“We suspended the Schengen area, as required by the Treaties, because something extraordinary happened in Ceuta,” Tajani said, adding that Rome intends to lift the measures once the risk has disappeared. “We are not against Spain, but we have the duty to protect our borders,” he added.
This decision also sparked a barrage of criticism within Spain. Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President of the Madrid capital region, said on X that “We let more than 70,000 people enter illegally through Ceuta alone and we ban Italians from entering, a brother country that invests in and contributes to Spain. It’s spectacular, this turning our backs on the West.”
Critics argue that Sánchez’s policies have left Spain isolated from its EU partners: Ayuso added: “Spain’s international reputation will continue to suffer because Pedro Sánchez is incapable of defending our borders and because his policy of uncontrolled immigration also undermines the European Union.” Alberto Nadal, deputy secretary for the Economy and Sustainable Development in the People’s Party, has stated that Sánchez had isolated Spain within the EU because of his migration policy and demanded an explanation in parliament.
The president of Extremadura, María Guardiola, also criticised the government: “This is not about setting territories against each other, or seeking fractures to mask problems. This is about facing the situation with humanity, seriousness and a firm voice.”
