스페인 총리, ‘세우타 사태’ 유발 가짜뉴스 배후로 러·이스라엘 지목

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has blamed Russia and Israel, as well as far-right forces, for the false news that sparked the Seville migrant crisis. In an interview with the Spanish private news network Servir Radio on the 31st (local time), Sanchez revealed that Russian and Israeli networks are spreading fake news and using illegal immigration issues to attack the Spanish government.

He went on to criticize the court's decision, stating that it was misinterpreted as allowing for the immediate repatriation of migrants arriving by sea, without proper identification checks, legal representation, and the formal repatriation process. Russia and Israel, Sanchez argued, spread the misleading information that migrants cannot be turned away at sea, a narrative that contributed to the crisis.

Over 70,000 migrants attempted to cross the sea during the Seville crisis, with at least 96 deaths reported. Spain repatriated the majority of these migrants to Morocco. Both Israel and Russia have previously targeted Sanchez's government over its support for the Gaza War and the war in Ukraine. Sanchez has backed the Palestinian government and criticized Israel's actions in Gaza, as well as Ukraine's support for Russia's invasion.

Sanchez emphasized that the Moroccan government bears no responsibility for the influx of migrants. He stated that no reputable news source, which Spain normally collaborates with, had any doubts about Morocco's direct involvement in the migrant situation. Spain is estimated to have between 3,000 and 7,000 migrants remaining in Seville.

The government recently announced plans to relocate 500 underage migrants from Seville to the mainland.