Clash between Vox and the Government over immigration: Hoces demands returns to Morocco and Torres denounces hoaxes

The Vox deputy Ignacio Hoces has called for the expulsion of all migrants who arrived irregularly in Ceuta in July, during a question addressed to the Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, in the Plenary Session of Congress.

In his speech, Hoces defended that, according to the Immigration Law, adults could have been returned within 72 hours and maintained that for minors, “preferential and summary procedures” should also be activated, with “rapid” and “accelerated” returns.

The Vox deputy added that there is an agreement between Spain and Morocco, signed on March 6, 2007 and referring to minors, in which, according to his interpretation, family reunification is contemplated and, if the parents are not located, the minors remain in Moroccan guardianship institutions. Likewise, he demanded the “immediate return to Morocco” of the migrants.

Vocation of clash with the Executive

During his reply, Hoces reproached the Government for describing what happened in Ceuta as a “humanitarian crisis” and demanded that, instead, expressions such as “invasion”, “hybrid war” or “attack on the territorial integrity of Spain” be used. In the same vein, he accused the Executive of favoring a “pull effect” through the Immigration Law, rootedness and an eventual extraordinary and “massive” regularization.

Likewise, he pointed out that article 58 of that norm could be modified to facilitate the return of those who entered the autonomous city irregularly and maintained that the Government has conveyed “a message to the entire planet” that, in his opinion, encourages the arrival of migrants by assuring them reception, regularization and social aid.

The deputy also alludes to the 37 judicial procedures opened in Ceuta for sexual assault and stated that “no woman should be afraid to walk alone through her city”. At the end of his speech, he demanded a State that protects Spaniards, offers “security” to women, “tranquility” to families and support to the State Security Forces and Corps.

“Against their chaos we want order. Against impunity we want law. And against Morocco's blackmail, absolute firmness,” Hoces concluded before the hemicycle.

Torres responds and accuses Vox of “inoculating hatred”

In his speech, Ángel Víctor Torres defended the central Government's actions in Ceuta at the end of July and accused Vox of resorting to “deception, hoaxes and demagoguery” to dehumanize migrants and “inoculate hatred” in society.

The minister described the proposal to immediately return migrants as a “fallacy” and recalled that files must be processed case by case, in accordance with current regulations, so as not to incur illegalities, a matter on which he alluded to judicial resolutions issued in the past for similar actions. In addition, Torres also rejected the existence of a “pull effect” and denied that Ceuta's health services or classrooms are collapsed. As he explained, 90% of students attend class normally, a figure he attributed to the work of the educational community.

Defense of the democratic framework

In his final reply, the minister insisted that the Government will not be “intimidated” and appealed to respect for the democratic framework. “Spain already defeated fascism once,” Torres affirmed, before stressing that the country today has democracy and adding that, if necessary, “we will defeat it again.”

The head of Territorial Policy closed his speech by assuring that the Executive will defend “the word” and “freedom,” despite the threats that, he said, Vox intends to launch from the Congress rostrum.