Ministers Bolaños and García face their explanations on Ceuta in Congress while Sánchez confirms his appearance

The Government of Spain faces new explanations this Thursday regarding the actions of the various ministries in the Ceuta crisis after the massive entry of people into the territory. In this regard, the Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, and the Minister of Health, Mónica García, will attend the Lower House.

These appearances will be followed by those of the Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares, the Minister of Interior Fernando Grande-Marlaska and the Minister of Migrations, Elma Saiz (on Friday 28) and those of the Minister of Youth and Childhood, Sira Rego, and the Minister of Equality, Ana Redondo (on Monday 31). Likewise, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, will give explanations next Thursday, September 3.

On the other hand, the Sectoral Conference on Childhood and Adolescence will also take place, where the distribution among the autonomous communities of the unaccompanied foreign minors who currently remain there since July 30 and 31 will be addressed, and where the territorial distribution of the 25 million euros allocated to these minors will also be addressed. Vox will not attend this meeting.

The clash of versions on the CNI's actions

The actions of the National Intelligence Center (CNI) during the migratory crisis in Ceuta continue to generate discrepancies within the Government. After the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, and the Minister of Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, offered different versions this Tuesday about the information they had before the massive entry of people into Spanish territory, the Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, has backed the thesis defended by Interior this Wednesday.

In her appearance, Robles highlighted the work carried out by the Armed Forces, the State Security Forces and the CNI and affirmed that the intelligence services had fulfilled the work that was "demanded" of them in Ceuta, in addition to sharing and analyzing their information with the rest of the involved organizations.

Hours later, Marlaska denied the existence of a CNI report that "foresaw" the crisis that subsequently occurred in the autonomous city. The Minister of Interior maintained that, had he received a communication anticipating a massive arrival of the dimensions that finally occurred, the necessary measures would have been taken "by common sense." In that context, he described as "something extraordinary, exceptional, and evidently difficult to imagine" that there had been a warning of those characteristics.

This Wednesday, Torres has sided with Marlaska. In an interview on 'Cadena SER', the minister assured that the CNI reports daily on the situation, but differentiated these usual reports from a specific alert that anticipated the arrival of tens of thousands of people. "The situation is reported every day. There had been an increase of about 1,000 people in seven days, but in no case was there any communication that we were going to have an arrival of tens of thousands of people in Ceuta," he explained.

"If we had known that an arrival of tens of thousands of people was going to occur, automatically the action would have had to be different," Torres clarified. On the other hand, the minister reported the number of unaccompanied minors who have been identified in Ceuta so far: 1,410. 

Torres assumes sole command

The main novelty of the device is the designation of the Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, as Functional Authority to promote and manage in a coordinated manner the actions derived from the declaration. The royal decree attributes to him the capacity to direct and coordinate the resources contemplated in the norm and establish the priorities for their use.

Among his functions will also be to set common objectives for the administrations and organizations involved, promote measures to preserve Ceuta's essential services, and integrate the different dimensions of the crisis: humanitarian, assistance, border, security, administrative, and foreign cooperation.

Torres must also coordinate the necessary logistical support in centers or facilities located in other parts of Spain, as well as possible international support. He will also have to keep the National Security Council permanently informed about the evolution of the situation and may promote the necessary actions for the return of irregular migrants, always in accordance with the legal system.

However, the royal decree makes it clear that the guidelines of the Functional Authority “will not alter the ownership of the powers” of the intervening authorities nor modify the organic relations or legally established chains of command.