OMM Redaksiyası
Tens of thousands of people rallied in Madrid on Saturday to protest the Spanish government’s migration policy and its response to a recent influx of migrants into the North African enclave of Ceuta, Al Jazeera and AFP reported.
The demonstration was organised by the right-wing civil society group Sociedad Civil Espanola and supported by Spain’s conservative People’s Party (PP) and far-right Vox.
Spanish authorities estimated the turnout at 20,000, while organisers said 180,000 people attended.
Protesters demand early election
Demonstrators accused Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his government of failing to protect Ceuta’s borders. They called for an early election by mid-November, although Spain’s next general election is not scheduled until August 2027.
Vox has also called for Sanchez to face a treason trial. Party leader Santiago Abascal demanded the deportation of all migrants who arrived in Ceuta in late July, saying the enclave remained “invaded because Sanchez continues to be Morocco’s servant”.
PP Secretary-General Miguel Tellado said there was a “widespread feeling that the government has not acted responsibly” and accused it of “dereliction of duty” and “extreme negligence”.
“Spanish society has to take to the streets to ask the government to defend our territorial integrity,” Tellado said.
Thousands remain stranded in Ceuta
More than 70,000 migrants entered Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco at the end of July, according to the report, although most were later returned. Between 6,000 and 10,000 people are still believed to be stranded in the enclave, according to the Spanish government.
The influx on July 30 and 31 led to unprecedented scenes and the deaths of dozens of migrants.
Speaking on Tuesday, Sanchez said Moroccan border controls had failed to manage the incident adequately. He added that an investigation was continuing and that Rabat had been asked to provide answers.
Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on Saturday that the government plans to approve a decree on Tuesday aimed at accelerating the return of migrants from Ceuta to Morocco.
The protest was the second held under the March for Dignity banner. The first, organised in late May before the Ceuta incident, drew 40,000 people, according to the government.
