Thousands March Over Spain’s Handling of Ceuta Migration Crisis

Thousands of protesters marched from Cibeles Square to the Moncloa Arch near the Spanish government headquarters on Saturday, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and new national elections.

The demonstrators’ demands were linked to the Spanish government’s handling of the migration crisis in Ceuta, a small Spanish territory on the northern African coast.

Disputed figures over migrants remaining

Spain’s national government said around 5,000 migrants remained in Ceuta weeks after a mass crossing from neighbouring Morocco. The figure included about 1,200 minors, according to the national government.

Ceuta’s local government gave a higher estimate, although the exact number it cited was not provided. The difference has contributed to competing accounts of the scale of the continuing pressure on the territory.

Most of those who crossed reportedly returned or were taken back across the border soon afterward. The influx nevertheless placed significant strain on local resources and caused anger among many Ceuta residents.

Officials offer different explanations

The Spanish government said an online campaign on social media had helped fuel the mass crossing. That explanation was not independently established in the available information.

Ceuta’s local authorities, meanwhile, said Spain’s central government had ignored warning signs before the border was breached. That assertion also remains an attributed claim rather than an independently confirmed finding.

The crossing involved approximately 72,000 people entering Ceuta from Morocco in late July, according to the available figures. At least 90 people died while attempting to reach Europe.

Ceuta, whose population is approximately 84,000, became the centre of what has been described as Spain’s worst border crisis in living memory. The protest has now added political pressure on Sanchez, with demonstrators seeking both his resignation and fresh elections.