Spain’s PM says no evidence ‘whatsoever’ Morocco behind Ceuta border breach

Sánchez addresses parliament on the government's handling of a massive border breach in the Spanish territory of Ceuta. Photograph: Olmo Blanco/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenSánchez addresses parliament on the government's handling of a massive border breach in the Spanish territory of Ceuta.

Prefer the Guardian on GoogleSpain não encontrou nenhuma evidência “whatsoever” de que o Marrocos planejou ou facilitou uma invasão em massa na fronteira para seu território norte-africano de Ceuta, disse o primeiro‑ministro espanhol, Pedro Sánchez, ao parlamento.

The address on Thursday followed the emergence of a police report, commissioned by a judge and widely quoted in the media, claiming Moroccan border forces had actively aided about 70,000 people to cross the border in late July.

Speaking the morning after about 50,000 people marched in Madrid to protest his handling of the Ceuta crisis, the socialist prime minister also denied the government had received any warning of the mass breach, saying no reports to authorities had anticipated “the scale or probability of what eventually happened”.

But he said on Thursday that Spain had summoned Morocco’s ambassador on 21 August because of “unacceptable statements” made by two ministers over Ceuta and Melilla, another Spanish north African territory.

No mês passado, o ministro da Justiça do Marrocos, Abdellatif Ouahbi, reiterou publicamente as reivindicações de soberania de Rabat sobre as cidades.

Sánchez said he had “for now” ruled out Moroccan government involvement but conceded that Moroccan forces had allowed crossings to occur during a key 10-hour period on 30 July.

Muitos dos que cruzaram disseram em entrevistas que foram ativamente incentivados a fazê‑lo. Oficiais marroquinos negam ter facilitado a travessia.

Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the leader of the conservative People’s party, called on Sánchez to resign for his “incompetence and complicity”.

Em resposta ao chamado de Sánchez ao embaixador marroquino para discutir a crise, Santiago Abascal, líder do partido de extrema-direita Vox, disse: “O Marrocos não precisa de um embaixador na Espanha – você é o seu embaixador.”.

View image in fullscreenPeople who entered Ceuta from Morocco in late July on hunger strike last month to demand asylum. Photograph: Laura Rincon/EPAAs many as 141 people are thought to have died trying to enter Ceuta at the end of July.

The influx unleashed a political crisis, a humanitarian emergency and reignited tensions within the EU over immigration.

Na quinta-feira, Sánchez apelou pela solidariedade europeia diante da crise. Ele não nomeou nenhum país especificamente, mas, em um trecho apontado aparentemente para a Itália e a Dinamarca, os dois países que lideraram a crítica pública à Espanha, afirmou que o princípio da solidariedade deveria se aplicar a Ceuta tanto quanto se aplica a Groenlândia e Lampedusa.

Read moreAlthough 90% of the people had returned to Morocco within 24 hours, several thousand, including at least 500 minors, are thought to remain, either living on the street or in makeshift shelters.

Amid calls from Vox to return them to Morocco, Sánchez reminded parliament that under Spanish, European and international law, migrants had a right to be treated as individuals.

Em referência aos centenas de menores destituídos, Aina Vidal do grupo de esquerda Sumar disse: “Eles são crianças, não invasores, não soldados. Eles não vieram carregando bombas, chegaram usando nadadeiras, em lágrimas.”.

Read moreIt seems likely the government will invest in facilities in Ceuta to accommodate the remaining migrants rather than risk the political backlash both in Spain and across Europe were they to bring them to the mainland.

There is also evidence that, faced with hunger as well as hostility from many local people, some migrants have already begun going back to Morocco.

However, as Sánchez told parliament, the per capita income of Ceuta is eight times that of Morocco and “even if we build a wall 100 metres high there will still be people prepared to throw themselves into the sea to get across”.

Additional reporting by Jakub Krupa.