Thousands of people gathered in Madrid on Saturday to protest the Spanish government’s handling of the recent influx of migrants in Ceuta, accusing it of failing to protect the country’s borders and demanding early parliamentary elections.
The protesters, many of whom were waving Spanish flags, chanted slogans such as “Ceuta is not for sale; you must defend Ceuta” during the march through the heart of the Spanish capital.
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Ceuta, a Spanish territory located in North Africa, plunged into a humanitarian crisis after the arrival of more than 7,000 migrants from neighboring Morocco on July 30 and 31.
Most returned within a few hours, but thousands remained there for weeks, with many of them sleeping on the streets, placing a significant strain on the resources of this small town and triggering a political crisis for Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The demonstration was organized by the right-wing social platform Sociedad Civil Española with the support of the conservative People’s Party (PP) and the far-right party Vox.
A spokesperson for the central government in Madrid estimated the turnout at around 2,000 people. The organizers claim there were 180,000 participants in the rally.
A manifesto published by the platform calls for early parliamentary elections to be held by November 15, the return to Morocco of all migrants who entered Ceuta, and for Pedro Sánchez to be tried for “treason.”
“The majority of Spaniards are calling for elections now,” PP parliamentary spokesperson Miguel Telado told reporters during the demonstration. The next parliamentary elections are scheduled for August 2027 at the latest.
The government is expected to approve a decree during Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting in order to expedite the return of migrants from Ceuta to Morocco, the newspaper El País reported on Saturday.
According to the newspaper, the new decree will allow for a reduction in the processing time for asylum applications and will limit applicants’ ability to remain in Spain while their cases are being reviewed.
“No one can trust this government for anything,” said Vox leader Santiago Abascal during the protest, responding to reporters’ questions about these reports.
Source: KYPE
