Agadir – Spain’s opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo has made the recent migration crisis in Ceuta a central theme of his early election campaign, using the enclave to attack Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government and outline his tougher approach to migration and border security.
The leader of the conservative Partido Popular (PP) chose the occupied city for his first campaign-related visit after Sánchez called early general elections for November 29. Feijóo has visited the Spanish-occupied enclave five times since the migration crisis erupted in late July.
During today’s visit, Feijóo promised that restoring “normality” in Ceuta would become his first task if voters bring him to power.
“Ceuta will be my first folder on the table of the Council of Ministers,” Feijóo said, according to a statement published by the PP. He also declared that “the only wall that the government has to defend is its border.”
The PP said Feijóo wants all people who entered Ceuta irregularly to return to their countries. He also pledged to use the powers provided by Spain’s Constitution, including Article 8, which assigns the Armed Forces the task of defending the country’s territorial integrity.
Feijóo also announced plans for a new immigration law that would facilitate the immediate return of people who enter Spain irregularly, as well as additional personnel and improved surveillance systems.
Morocco at the center of Feijóo’s message
Feijóo has repeatedly linked the Ceuta crisis to Morocco in his political statements in recent weeks.
On September 3, he claimed in Spain’s Congress that the mass arrival of migrants in Ceuta “came from Morocco,” was “tolerated by Morocco.”
A few days later, Feijóo went as far as using threatening language against Morocco, alleging he would deploy the Spanish Armed Forces to protect the border if he received information indicating a possible new mass entry into Ceuta. In a statement published by the PP, he said, “If Morocco does not comply with its obligations, we have to act and respond.”
The remarks came amid an ongoing campaign that Feijóo and far right politicians have been launching against Morocco despite its efforts to tackle the Ceuta crisis and beyond.
While he said Spain needs to maintain a relationship with Morocco, he accused Morocco of not showing the same commitment toward Madrid.
Read also: The PP’s Cynicism Toward Morocco: From Rajoy’s Rhetoric to Feijóo’s Accusations
