The Royal Family underlines with the visit to Ceuta and Melilla that Spain is Morocco's "gateway" to Europe
The Kings are seeking to demonstrate that the two autonomous cities are Spanish in order to later “normalize” the relationship with the neighboring country.
On the three days preceding the massive influx into Ceuta, as recounted by Juan Jesús Vivas to the judge, the mayor detailed numerous messages and attempts to reach the government during the late July days when the migration situation was spiraling out of control. Over the course of those three days – July 27, 28, and 29 – Vivas affirmed that nine calls were made to Pedro Sánchez's chief of cabinet (with one additional call on July 30), as well as direct conversations with three ministers: the one for Territorial Policy, Angel Víctor Torres, the one for Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, and the one for Defense, Margarita Robles.
Furthermore, he reported trying to speak with the Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, whose secretary he was in constant contact throughout the days, aiming to convey that the city's migration situation had already become extraordinary and that strong measures such as increased police presence or the creation of a single command were necessary.
On July 30, as the border was already uncontrolled, Vivas again called the chief of Sánchez's cabinet, Diego Rubio, and managed to speak with both Marlaska and Sánchez.
Written by urgent.news from El Pais's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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