The prime minister of Spain is promising to release all files related to the invasion of Ceuta by illegal immigrants, as thousands rally across the country in protest of how the situation has been handled.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez addressed the situation on Thursday in the Spanish parliament’s lower house, the Congress of Deputies. Reacting to accusations that the Moroccan government allowed the invasion to take place, as well as speculation that the Spanish authorities failed to react effectively to the situation, the premier promised to publish a comprehensive document examining the timeline of events.
“The Government has nothing to hide in this matter and I have ordered the publication of a dossier with all the documents so that the public can examine them — absolute transparency and public access to all documents,” Sanchez said.
Approximately 72,000 individuals illegally swarmed into the Spanish territory of Ceuta in northern Africa in late July, crossing into the enclave from Morocco via land and sea. It was a catastrophic event for a region with only 84,000 legitimate residents, and the political fallout from the border failure has dogged Sanchez’s government since.
International tensions flared up earlier this week after Spanish news outlets reported a leaked police document from Ceuta accused the Moroccan government of “total permissiveness” as the invasion unfolded.
Sanchez and his government have blamed social media campaigns for the incident, claiming that a network of misinformation urged Moroccans to rush the border with the promise that asylum would be granted. They have repeatedly denied claims that the Moroccan government was in any way complicit in the invasion.
“I can assure you that no institution — neither the diplomatic service, nor the European Commission, nor any international body — has provided the Spanish government with solid evidence that Morocco planned or carried out the incident,” Sanchez said Thursday. “None.”
The premier also rebuked critics for questioning the process of migrants’ removal, dismissing those who advocate individuals to be unceremoniously dumped out of the country without due process.
“Spain is a democracy,” he told the parliament. “You can’t grab a human being by the arm and throw them across the border like a sack of dirt. There are laws and treaties that we are obligated to uphold.”
Demonstrations protesting the government spanned across the country this week, including inside the Ceuta enclave itself — where protesters reportedly chanted “Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta must be defended.”
Riot police in Madrid reportedly used tear gas and rubber bullets to quell unruly protesters outside the Congress of Deputies on Wednesday.
CEUTA IN CHAOS AS TRAFFICKERS MOVE MIGRANTS TO SPAIN AND MADRID ACCEPTS 500 AT-RISK GIRLS
Between 5,000 and 10,000 migrants remain in Ceuta, where reports claim crime has skyrocketed and illegal encampments have disrupted society.
The migrants are mostly young men, and prosecutors say there have been almost two dozen sexual assault cases tied to their presence. Separate camps have been set up for migrants who are not legal adults.