For the first time since the mass influx at the end of July, Spain’s National Security Council is convening for a crisis meeting. The body includes parts of the cabinet as well as the heads of the defense and intelligence services. Sánchez had been under pressure for weeks to call the meeting.
The leader of Izquierda Unida, Antonio Maíllo, called the session “extremely important” and demanded a reorientation of relations with Morocco. Lawmaker Cuca Gamarra of the conservative People’s Party criticized the timing: “First the vacation, then national security.”
The crisis began in late July when tens of thousands of migrants breached the border from Morocco into Ceuta within 24 hours. Spain subsequently deployed the military. Sánchez described it as an “attack” on territorial integrity. According to the Interior Ministry, around 5,000 migrants remained in the city as of August 13.
The opposition is calling for more staff for deportations, while the Health Ministry is providing 25,000 vaccine doses against possible disease outbreaks. The incident has also sparked an EU-wide debate on migration: 22 EU heads of state and government called for stronger external borders in a letter. Tensions arose between Spain and Italy over mutual border controls.
Source: www.pravda.com.ua
