The Deputy Secretary of Sectoral Coordination of the PP, Alma Ezcurra, has blamed Morocco as "responsible" for the crisis that Ceuta is going through after the massive entry of more than 72,000 irregular migrants, according to official data, and has questioned whether the Government of Pedro Sánchez intends to "cede" to Rabat, "which does not recognize the Spanish sovereignty of the autonomous city," the protection and control of its borders.
From Ceuta, after holding a meeting with the president of the autonomous city, Juan Jesús Vivas, Ezcurra has indicated to the media that in the PP they are "very aware" that when "70,000 people enter a border illegally and violently" and, the next day, "50,000 or 60,000 approximately, return from where they came," it is because "there is someone who is blowing the whistle."
In this context, the popular leader has emphasized that, "whether by action or omission, Morocco is responsible for what has happened and is happening at this moment in Ceuta." "We Spaniards have realized, Europeans have realized, and the whole world has realized," she emphasized.
Therefore, she has demanded explanations from the Executive about whether it is going to "cede" to a "country that does not recognize the Spanish sovereignty of Ceuta," like Morocco, "the guarantee of the borders and the security of the borders of a Spanish city." In her opinion, "Spain cannot hand over to Rabat the key to its border. This has to end, and with a PP Government, I assure you that this will end," she has assured.
Response to the words of the Moroccan minister
Ezcurra has explicitly referred to the statements of the Moroccan Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi, who, she has pointed out, "again doubts" the Spanish sovereignty of Ceuta and Melilla.
In an interview given this Tuesday, Ouahbi stated that the sovereignty of the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla remains a "pending" issue, in coherence with previous statements, although framed in a "long-term" policy. "In September there will be meetings with Morocco and Spain, and we continue to cling to our lands. This requires a long-term approach, and we want to solve the problem through dialogue," the minister stated.
For the Deputy Secretary of the PP, "the Spanishness of Ceuta and Melilla is neither in discussion nor debated nor will it be subject to negotiation by anyone," and she has questioned the Government if that is the "loyal cooperation" that Morocco claims to offer to address the migration crisis.
Likewise, he has asked the Executive if, after the statements from the Moroccan Government questioning the Spanish identity of the two autonomous cities, it will also "open a diplomatic conflict" or call its ambassador for consultations, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, did with Italy over the closure of the Schengen area.
The "three lies" that the PP attributes to the Government about Ceuta
Ezcurra has also accused the Government of incurring in "three lies" regarding Ceuta: first, presenting the massive entry of people into the city as if "it was a migration crisis"; second, claiming that the autonomous city has recovered "normality" when thousands of migrants still remain in the area; and lastly, stating that there is "a problem with the autonomous communities of the PP" in the reception of unaccompanied minors from Morocco.
In this line, he has held the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, responsible for not telling the truth by asserting that "he knew nothing" despite the fact that, according to Ezcurra, "there were reports from Moroccan Intelligence and Spanish Intelligence warning" of the massive arrival of people across the border.
On the other hand, the popular leader has anticipated that the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, who will appear before the media in the autonomous city this Wednesday, will attempt, in her opinion, to evade any responsibility in the management of the migration crisis, reminding that the Armed Forces have "the obligation to guarantee national sovereignty." "I don't have a crystal ball, but I anticipate that the Minister of Defense is going to tell the Ceutíes that she had no competencies," she has predicted.