Thousands Protest in Madrid Over Ceuta Migrant Crisis

Thousands of people have protested in Madrid over the Spanish Government’s handling of the recent migrant influx into Ceuta, accusing authorities of failing to protect the country’s borders and demanding an early general election.

Residents marched through central Madrid on Saturday, many carrying Spanish flags and chanting for greater protection of Ceuta.

Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa, has faced a humanitarian and political crisis since more than 70,000 migrants arrived from neighbouring Morocco on July 30 and 31.

Most of the migrants returned to Morocco within hours, but thousands have remained in Ceuta for weeks, with many sleeping on the streets and placing additional pressure on the territory’s limited resources.

The protest was organised by right-wing civil society group Sociedad Civil Espanola and supported by the conservative People’s Party (PP) and far-right Vox.

Madrid’s central government delegation estimated the turnout at about 20,000 people, while organisers put the figure at 180,000.

A manifesto issued by the organisers called for an early general election by November 15, the return of all migrants who entered Ceuta to Morocco and the prosecution of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for “treason”.

PP parliamentary spokesman Miguel Tellado accused the government of negligence and said most Spaniards wanted an election to be held immediately.

Spain’s next general election is due by August 2027.

Meanwhile, the Spanish Government is expected to approve a decree on Tuesday to accelerate the return of migrants from Ceuta to Morocco, according to El País.

The reported measure would reduce the time available to process asylum applications and restrict applicants’ ability to remain in Spain while their cases are being considered.

Vox leader Santiago Abascal, however, questioned whether the government would implement the reported measures, saying it had done little to address the crisis.

 “No one can trust this government to do anything.”

“This government has done nothing throughout this time,” he told reporters at the protest when asked about the report.

The government has expanded temporary accommodation for migrants in Ceuta, deployed hundreds of police officers and soldiers and increased funding for the territory’s administration.

Local groups and opposition parties have argued that the measures have not done enough to resolve the crisis.