Sánchez addresses Spanish parliament over Ceuta crisis

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed the parliament over the migration crisis in Ceuta, an autonomous city on the north African coast. He defended the government's handling of the situation, stating that the return of migrants "takes time" and that verifying their identities and ensuring they have a safe place to return to is crucial. Sánchez highlighted the coordination with Morocco, which he said was essential in returning over 90% of the migrants who crossed the border irregularly.

The crisis began when over 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta on July 30 and 31. According to a Spanish police report, Moroccan security forces showed "total permissiveness" during the influx, allowing the migrants to cross the border with ease. The report also stated that the Moroccan police made no serious attempt to disperse or move the crowd away from the border.

Sánchez has blamed trafficking gangs and online misinformation for encouraging people to cross the border, while Morocco has denied orchestrating or being involved in the mass crossing.

The opposition parties, including the conservative Partido Popular and the far-right Vox party, have criticized Sánchez's handling of the crisis, with some calling for his resignation. They accuse him of abandoning the residents of Ceuta and claim that the government knew more about Morocco's role in the crisis than it previously admitted. Protests have taken place in cities across Spain, with demonstrators calling for the migrants to be sent back to their countries of origin or redistributed across Spain.

Brief written by urgent.news from Euronews, El Pais, KahawaTungu, Politico EU, Malay Mail — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.