Protests in Spain over government's handling of Ceuta migrant crisis

What the report says

Thousands of people marched in several Spanish cities, including Madrid and Ceuta, to protest the government’s handling of the migrant influx into the Spanish enclave on Morocco’s north African coast, according to BBC World News. The demonstrations came as opposition parties accused Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of failing to protect Ceuta’s residents, while the government argued that conservative and far-right rivals were using the crisis for political gain.

BBC reported that the unrest followed a sudden crossing of at least 72,000 migrants from Morocco into Ceuta on 30 and 31 July. Although most have since returned, the article said as many as 5,000 people were still in temporary camps, on the streets or on the beach, adding pressure on local authorities and Sánchez’s administration. The protests included a large rally in Madrid, where government figures said more than 50,000 people gathered, as well as a separate demonstration in Ceuta.

The BBC also said Spanish media have highlighted a police report suggesting Moroccan border forces were unusually passive during the crossings, although the report did not directly accuse Morocco of orchestrating the influx. That point matters because Ceuta and nearby Melilla remain sensitive flashpoints in Spanish-Moroccan relations, and the episode has intensified debate in Spain over border control, migration policy and the political handling of the crisis.