Migration: Spanish prime minister defends handling of Ceuta crisis

FILE - People walk on a beach after attempting to cross from the Moroccan northern town of Fnideq to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, July 31, 2026.   -  

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AP

By Africanews

with AP

Last updated: 12 hours ago

Ceuta

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez defended his government's handling of the migration crisis in Ceuta where some 80,000 migrants tried to enter at the end of July.

In an hour long interview with state television, Sanchez said that state needs to be better prepared for such "hybrid attacks" because the two autonomous cities-- Ceuta and Melilla-- share borders with Africa which puts them in "very, very important uniqueness."

Sánchez has been facing mounting scrutiny amid a prolonged humanitarian crisis in Ceuta, where the flood of thousands of migrants has angered residents in the tiny community, which is ill-equipped to handle such an influx.

He said there is a need for "larger reception infrastructures for migrants arriving".

He defended the intelligence services in predicting how much influx can be anticipated and said that this is one of the "elements we need to improve."

Sanchez confirmed that King Felipe VI would be going to the autonomous city of Ceuta but didn't confirm the date.

For the past month, migrants have been living in makeshift tents on the beach, where they receive barely one meal a day, provided by the Red Cross.

This camp has also become the focus of pressure from some protesters who, for several weeks now, have been seeking to expel the migrants from Ceuta in response to what they consider to be negligence on the part of the Spanish Government.