Embattled Spanish PM Sánchez insists no prior warnings before Ceuta crisis

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez insisted on Thursday that no one predicted the arrival of 72,000 migrants in Ceuta, a Spanish exclave on the North African coast. His comments came amid growing criticism over his management of the crisis, with tens of thousands of people protesting in Madrid and other cities in support of Ceuta's residents.

Sánchez denied any prior knowledge of the large-scale crossing and said there was no evidence implicating Morocco. A police report highlighted the "total permissiveness" of Moroccan security forces, though officials deny the report implicates Rabat. Despite Spain sending back most of the migrants, about 5,000, including 1,400 children, remain in Ceuta.

Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo accused the government of lying and called for Sánchez's resignation. European partners expressed anger over Spain's handling of the migrant influx, with Italy imposing border restrictions on arrivals from Spain. The protests underscore the domestic pressure Sánchez faces and have transformed the crisis from a humanitarian and logistical issue into a major political challenge for the Socialist leader.