The Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory and current sole commander of the Government in Ceuta, Ángel Víctor Torres, accused this Saturday the president of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, of using the migratory crisis that the autonomous city is going through in an "electoral" manner. At the same time, he ruled out that the director of the National Intelligence Center (CNI) should go to the Senate, as the opposition has been demanding.
Torres made these statements on the program 'Malas lenguas' of RTVE, after Feijóo announced his intention to go to the courts considering that the Executive "is not up to the task" in managing the situation in Ceuta and demanded the presence of the head of the CNI in the Upper House.
"We are listening to Feijóo at a party event," the minister stated, who defended that this demand for appearance had already been answered "before he made this statement at an electoral event." According to Torres, the leader of the PP is trying to gain political advantage from the crisis instead of contributing to its solution.
The head of Territorial Policy urged the opposition to "be responsible" and lamented that, "instead of lending a hand and being alongside what is required, which is a response to Ceuta," they are "holding rallies." "Each one should do and decide what to do according to what they have in mind and their conscience," he pointed out, reproaching the popular party for prioritizing political confrontation over institutional collaboration.
In response to the criticisms from the head of the 'populars', who claimed that the president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, "does not know what Ceuta is," Torres replied that the head of the Executive "has been more" in the autonomous city "than other presidents who only came, like Mr. Aznar, when they came to hold electoral events." "I have been to Ceuta many times as a minister," he added, also recalling his time at the head of the Government of the Canary Islands.
The minister has detailed that more than 70,000 people crossed the Tarajal border on July 30 and 31 and that 90% returned within 48 hours. He has also emphasized that the supposed second and third massive waves planned for August "did not occur." "We have already returned more than 200 immigrants who have committed acts against the law," he explained, also specifying that "more than 50 have already renounced their asylum request" and that since August 10 "more than 3,200 immigrants have returned voluntarily."
Regarding the current situation in the streets of Ceuta, Torres has estimated that between 4,000 and 4,500 people continue to sleep outdoors in the city. He has insisted that "the will is for everyone to be returned, all those who entered on the 30th and 31st, according to the law," except for "those who truly have the right to international protection, who are very few." In the case of minors, he has emphasized that "the priority is family reunification" and their return to Morocco, always within the legal framework and protection of children.