Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Addresses Ceuta's Situation
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is hopeful that the situation in Ceuta will stabilize by the end of 2026. He has refuted claims that WhatsApp messages from the National Intelligence Center (CNI) to the chief of staff of the government representative in the autonomous city served as a pre-warning for the events that unfolded. In an interview on La Sexta's program "El Intermedio," Sánchez reiterated the importance of maintaining strong relations with Morocco and urged patience as efforts are made to resolve the crisis fully.
Sánchez emphasized the critical need to complete the identification process for migrants. This is essential in determining which individuals need to be repatriated and which ones are entitled to international protection. He stated that the government aims to achieve this as quickly as possible, working diligently to ensure that the crisis is resolved "sooner rather than later." When asked about when Ceuta could return to normalcy, he reminded that a deadline had been set for establishing a unified crisis management team by the end of the year, expressing confidence that conditions would stabilize by that time.
Controversy Surrounding CNI WhatsApp Messages
Sánchez addressed the controversy regarding the CNI's WhatsApp messages to Gonzalo Sanz, who resigned as chief of staff for the government representative in Ceuta, Miguel Ángel Pérez Triano, after claiming he had informed his superiors about the situation. He clarified, "The WhatsApp messages are not evidence of a warning; rather, they indicate the opposite." He explained that intelligence information is not communicated via WhatsApp but through the creation of reports that are forwarded to ministries such as the Interior or Defense. However, Sánchez believes these messages indicate that both Spain and Morocco were aware of the increase in illegal entries, albeit not to the extent that actually occurred.
Once again, Sánchez defended the necessity of good relations with Morocco, emphasizing that the majority of individuals who have entered Spain must return to their home country. He insisted that there is still no factual evidence to support claims that Morocco is behind the "surge" of migrants and called for refraining from speculation or disrespectful comments towards the country. Furthermore, he firmly rejected any suggestion that he is being pressured by Morocco due to potentially sensitive information obtained through the alleged interception of his mobile phone. He characterized these accusations as misinformation, asserting that they might belong in a "Netflix series" but not in reality.
As reported by mallorca-services.es.
