The Government makes a move in Ceuta in view of another possible massive entry on 23-S and clashes again with Feijóo and Vivas over the return of minors

Ceuta arrives this Tuesday awaiting what may happen tomorrow at the border and with an ongoing reception crisis since late July. Between 3,000 and 3,500 people remain without accommodation, according to estimates offered by the Government on Monday. A new call circulated on social media encourages crossing from Morocco on Wednesday, September 23, the day of elections in the neighboring country. The Executive has reinforced prevention while expanding available places and trying to resolve the situation of minors, which has become the main point of friction with Ceuta's president, Juan Jesús Vivas.

Monday left two images of that struggle. The Minister of Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, visited reception facilities and police stations in Ceuta. On the other hand, Vivas appeared alongside the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, and the president of the European People's Party, Manfred Weber, to demand faster returns. The three leaders questioned Pedro Sánchez's response when there are still people sleeping on the beaches and families awaiting adequate accommodation.

Border surveillance and contacts with Morocco

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, explained that he maintains practically daily contacts with his Moroccan counterpart, Naser Burita, to prevent another massive entry. Spain and Morocco are preparing surveillance measures ahead of the 23-S call. Albares clarified, in any case, that the messages disseminated so far have less impact than those that preceded the July entry. Another call launched for mid-August also did not materialize.

Foreign Affairs has also activated an information campaign through the Spanish embassy and consulates in Morocco. Its objective is to debunk messages that present a recent Supreme Court ruling as an automatic guarantee to remain in Spain after crossing the border. Albares warned of the risk of undertaking the journey by swimming and of trusting those who use this false interpretation to encourage others to do so.

Marlaska announced from Ceuta more police resources for security and to process identifications. The Interior Ministry is already conducting more than 105 daily interviews with adults and expects to reach 50 per day in the case of minors. According to the minister, more than 2,500 adults have gone through this process. Definitive data on how many people remain in the city will arrive when the registrations are completed; current figures are still estimates.

Reception advances while thousands of people remain in the open

Ángel Víctor Torres, Minister of Territorial Policy and head of the single command for the crisis, estimated on Monday that between 17,250 and 17,750 people initially remained in Ceuta after the massive entry at the end of July. Some have returned to Morocco and others occupy reception resources, but there are still people settled on the Trampolín and Benítez beaches. The lack of spaces caused scenes of tension during the transfer of migrants from one of these settlements to temporary facilities last Friday.

The Interior Ministry has just over 6,000 reception places and is working to increase capacity to 9,000 or 10,000. Torres hopes that all people who are still outdoors will have shelter in the coming weeks. He has announced the transfer of about 300 women to a more suitable space during these days and is negotiating a new location with the Autonomous City. He acknowledged that some facilities have been delayed due to construction and sanitation problems.

At the beginning of September, the Government approved a 309 million euro shock plan for Ceuta, with allocations for reception, security, public services, and aid to businesses and self-employed workers. These resources are beginning to be deployed while the city endures extraordinary pressure on its spaces, healthcare, and social services. Vivas reproaches the Executive that, after more than seven weeks, it still has not set a precise deadline to restore normality.

The situation of minors concentrates the most difficult disagreement to resolve. Torres maintains that around 2,000 are taken in under the guardianship of the City and that there are another 500 in state resources that need appropriate facilities for children. The Minister of Youth and Childhood, Sira Rego, announced that the first family reunification files will be prepared in the coming days, although she believes that most want to remain in Spain. The Government proposes transferring those who cannot reunite with their families to other communities, thus alleviating the pressure on Ceuta. Each decision requires studying the family situation and attending to the best interest of the minor.

Feijóo and Weber back Vivas against Marlaska

Feijóo demanded from Ceuta a greater presence of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, reinforcement works in Tarajal, and faster processing of returns. He accused the Government of neglecting the city and called it "miserable" that it blames Vivas for the minors who are still on the street. Weber asked to reunite the children with their families in Morocco and demanded that Rabat fulfill the commitments made. Vivas defended the return of those who entered irregularly in July, including minors when appropriate, and rejected that Ceuta ends up becoming a large temporary stay center.

Marlaska responded that "the Government is assuming responsibility" and demanded "serious will" from the Ceuta Executive to cooperate in the care of children, whose guardianship corresponds to the Autonomous City. Government sources reproached Vivas for alleging agenda problems to meet with the minister on the same day he received Feijóo and Weber. The president of Ceuta, for his part, insists that the Interior must accelerate the identification of those who arrived and that Morocco must provide the necessary reports to study family reunifications.

The political confrontation occurred on the same Monday that the controversial judge Juan Carlos Peinado agreed to bring Begoña Gómez, Pedro Sánchez's wife, to trial with a jury for alleged crimes of influence peddling and embezzlement. Moncloa called the decision "arbitrary" and reiterated its defense of Gómez's innocence.

In Ceuta, the tension had already left another serious episode during the weekend, when a group of demonstrators attacked the vehicle in which local deputy Julia Alejandra Ferreras was traveling with other people. Both the City and the Government Delegation condemned the aggression, and Feijóo expressed his solidarity with those affected.

Youth and Childhood maintains a proposal on the table to transfer 500 especially vulnerable minors to the Peninsula. Rego states that the resources are ready and that the agreement with the Autonomous City needs to be finalized. Vivas demands progress first on family reunifications and asks Morocco for the reports that will allow each file to be resolved.