For this Wednesday, the date on which Ceuta Day is celebrated, demonstrations were called in various municipalities in Spain. The mobilizations took place after a series of protests in the autonomous city of Ceuta itself, on the eve of the Government president, Pedro Sánchez, appearing before the Congress of Deputies to give explanations and amid the approval of a plan of 309 million euros to address the consequences of the crisis.
Many of the gatherings were called by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, which presents these acts as a show of solidarity with the population of Ceuta.
The demonstrations became a cause of political dispute. The Popular Party (PP), right-wing and the main opposition force to the Government, supports the mobilizations and accuses Sánchez of avoiding holding Morocco responsible for the crisis. The far-right party Vox goes even further and accuses Morocco of using migration as an instrument of a “hybrid war” against Spain, as well as harshly criticizing Sánchez for the way the Government managed the crisis.
On the left, there is consensus about these protests. The national leadership of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), Sánchez’s party, accused the PP of politically instrumentalizing the demonstrations. However, more than 30 municipalities governed by the PSOE itself decided to join the mobilizations. Other municipalities led by left-wing parties chose to organize alternative acts of solidarity with Ceuta.
In Madrid, the left-wing party Podemos promoted a demonstration against racism. The leader of the formation, Ione Belarra, accuses the right of fueling racist and xenophobic discourses, although she also criticizes Sánchez’s Government for its handling of the crisis.
Wednesday’s mobilizations add to several days of protests in the city of Ceuta itself. Meanwhile, the Spanish Executive approved a plan of 309 million euros until the end of 2026. The resources will be allocated to humanitarian reception, including strengthening care for migrant minors, security, essential services, and support measures for companies and workers.
This Thursday Pedro Sánchez will appear before the Congress of Deputies to give explanations about the Government’s management since the beginning of the crisis and about the measures adopted to strengthen control of Spanish and European borders and guarantee national sovereignty.
It is also under debate what information the Government had before the massive entry of migrants into the enclave. The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, acknowledged that intelligence services had prior information about movements related to the border. However, other members of the Executive stated that there was no data that would allow foreseeing the magnitude of the entry recorded on July 30.
In recent hours a new element has emerged in this equation. According to the newspaper El Español, a preliminary report from the National Immigration and Borders Center (CENIF) indicates that Moroccan security agents would have given instructions to migrants and managed the flow of people during the entry of foreigners into Ceuta.
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According to the Spanish press, the document was delivered to Judge María Tardón, of the National Court, within the framework of the investigation into the events. When the information was published on Tuesday night, the Prosecutor’s Office had not yet analyzed the report.
The publication of this report provoked an immediate reaction from the Ministry of the Interior. During the early hours of this Wednesday, Fernando Grande-Marlaska asked the Director General of the Police to urgently clarify whether the disseminated information is true and, if so, since when the National Police had knowledge of the facts.
The content acquires special political weight because on Monday Sánchez stated that there was no information from security forces or intelligence services that raised doubts about a possible participation of Moroccan authorities, and highlighted Morocco’s cooperation during the crisis.
In a recent interview with the SER network, Sánchez stated that rumors about Ceuta were spread through social networks that he linked to Russia, Israel, and an international far-right network that, according to him, exploits the migration issue to attack Spain and Europe.
The Government president emphasized that this does not necessarily imply the action of foreign state actors and acknowledged that the authorities are still investigating what happened.
Israel rejected the accusation. The Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Saar, accused Sánchez of “blatantly lying” about Israel’s role in the crisis. For its part, Russia demanded that the Spanish Government president present concrete evidence to support his statements.
In response to international reactions, the Spanish Government stated it is based on a report from the European Commission which, according to the Executive, pointed to an international far-right network, with digital hubs in Russia and Israel, that would have amplified what happened in Ceuta to increase polarization in Europe.
The European External Action Service maintains that attempts by Russia to exploit the Ceuta crisis on the internet were detected. However, the agency also states that there is no conclusive evidence that the crisis itself was triggered by a disinformation campaign promoted by state agents from other countries. Israel is not mentioned in that assessment.
