Spanish royals make sensitive visit to crisis-hit Ceuta
Their trip will mark the first royal visit since 2007 when a diplomatic crisis erupted with neighbouring Morocco, which claims sovereignty over Ceuta.
Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia made a diplomatically sensitive visit to Ceuta on Tuesday in support of the city, which is struggling with a migrant crisis. The visit marks the first royal visit to Ceuta since 2007, when a diplomatic crisis erupted with neighboring Morocco, which claims sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla.
More than 70,000 migrants streamed into Ceuta in July, causing scores of deaths, and thousands remain in dire conditions. The crisis has angered locals and eroded Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's standing before the November 29 general election. The royals' visit aims to send a clear message to Morocco that Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish.
While the government insists on assessing migrants' eligibility for asylum, thousands of unaccompanied children cannot be deported. The royals will also pay tribute to the migrants who died in a cemetery and deliver a speech to Ceuta's civil society before traveling to Melilla the following day.
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- Spanish royals make sensitive visit to crisis-hit Ceuta freemalaysiatoday.com
- Spain’s King and Queen make history with landmark visit amid Ceuta crisis euroweeklynews.com
- Spanish royals make sensitive visit to crisis-hit Ceuta thelocal.es
