Sánchez Defends Handling of Ceuta Border Crisis, Admits Gaps in Preparedness

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has defended his government's handling of the migration crisis in Ceuta, where tens of thousands of people attempted to cross the border in late July. In an interview with state television, Sánchez acknowledged that the state needs to improve its preparation for what he described as "hybrid attacks" of this nature.

Sánchez highlighted the unique position of Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's only land borders with Africa, which he said gives them a "very, very important uniqueness." He stressed that the two autonomous cities face structural challenges, including disparities in per capita income and opportunities compared with the other side of the border.

The Prime Minister admitted that reception infrastructure is insufficient, noting that current centres can only accommodate around 1,000 people. He said the government is working to expand capacity to 6,000 activated places, which would allow for proper registration and triage of migrants, a necessary step before processing returns or asylum claims.

Sánchez also conceded that intelligence and prevention efforts need improvement. He said that while there were warnings of a slight increase in arrivals by swimming in the days before the crisis, authorities did not anticipate the scale of the movement, which involved as many as 70,000 people potentially crossing.

He confirmed that King Felipe VI will visit Ceuta and Melilla in the near future, with dates to be announced jointly by the government and the Royal Household.

The crisis has left thousands of migrants living in makeshift tents on the beach, receiving limited assistance from the Red Cross. Some local protesters have called for the migrants to be expelled, criticising what they see as government negligence.