The socialist deputy and first vice-president of the Assembly of Ceuta, Melchor León, has demanded this Tuesday from Pedro Sánchez to "look at Ceuta" and offer a roadmap for the city to recover normality after the massive entry of migrants recorded on July 30 and 31.
León has addressed an open letter to the President of the Government in which he proposes five actions that, in his opinion, could be launched this very week. The socialist asks for consolidated data on the number of people who entered, those who remain in the city, and those who died during those days.
"A city cannot recover from something it still doesn't know what it was," he maintains. The figures handled by the administrations continue to show significant differences. The Minister of Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, placed the number of people remaining in Ceuta at around 5,000, while the president of the city, Juan Jesús Vivas, has raised the estimate to approximately 9,000.
The National Police has also identified 2,168 minors since the beginning of the crisis, whose files must be examined individually to determine their permanence, possible transfer, or return with guarantees. León demands "certain numbers, with names behind them and with dates" to dimension humanitarian, health, and security needs.
"What hurts most is the uncertainty," writes the deputy. In his account, children who have stopped going to the beach, suspended parties, affected businesses, and families who have changed their routines appear. The letter ends by concentrating its demands in a phrase addressed to Sánchez: "Give us back the truth. Give us back normality. And set a date for it".
Five measures for this week
León's first request consists of declaring a state of alarm in Ceuta. He also requests that the Interior recognize the situation as a national interest emergency, a figure recently used during the fires in Madrid and Ávila to place the coordination of mobilized resources under state direction.
Both mechanisms have different requirements and effects. The declaration of a state of alarm corresponds to the Council of Ministers and requires justifying that ordinary powers are insufficient in the face of any of the circumstances set out in the law. A national interest emergency can be declared by the Minister of the Interior when its dimensions require state direction and allows the UME to assume operational coordination.
The third measure proposed by León is precisely the deployment of the Military Emergency Unit to install a space equipped with water, electricity, and healthcare. The deputy thus takes up the request of the College of Physicians of Ceuta to set up a field hospital. "No one should be sleeping on our streets," he states.
León also demands a permanent Frontex presence at the border. The European Commission has offered operational support to Spain and has already sent experts to the city, but it is up to the Government to formally request a broader deployment of the European agency.
His last request concerns the files of people who entered irregularly. The socialist demands sufficient resources, resolutions within the deadline, and a public calendar that allows knowing how the Interior's commitment will be fulfilled that those who do not have the right to remain in Spain will be returned.
The demands come as the Government expands its care system in Ceuta. Elma Saiz announced this Monday 1,500 new temporary places distributed in four locations, while the Interior has sent specialized agents to expedite the files and has reinforced citizen security.
Lobato defends his voice
The letter opens a new episode in León's public disagreements with the socialist leadership of Ceuta. The deputy already asked for the resignation of the Government delegate, Miguel Ángel Pérez Triano, and claimed to have received pressure within the party for his statements about the crisis.
León has avoided presenting his letter as a personal confrontation with Sánchez. He asserts that he has spent "half his life in socialism" and defends that his position stems from his institutional responsibility and his direct knowledge of the situation in Ceuta.
Socialist senator Juan Lobato has backed his right to disagree this Tuesday. In statements to 'Espejo Público', on Antena 3, he has asked that the PSOE not take reprisals and has considered it an "enormous strength" that its territorial representatives can convey what their neighbors experience.
"The utmost confidence in the values of a party consists of allowing everyone to express themselves," Lobato defended. León closes his letter by offering Ceuta's collaboration to apply the agreed measures and reaffirming the city's link with Spain: "We will remain where we have always been. Firm and most faithful".
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