Spanish opposition blames PM Sánchez, exonerates Morocco in Ceuta migrant crisis

Leaders of Spain's centre‑right Partido Popular and far‑right Vox have shifted their rhetoric, absolving Morocco of blame for the recent surge of migrants entering the autonomous city of Ceuta. Both Alberto Núñez Feijóo and Santiago Abascal argue that the primary cause is Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whose recently approved migrant regularisation decree and perceived lack of preparation after a Supreme Court ruling restricting “hot returns” have created the situation.

Abascal has intensified the criticism, labeling Sánchez a “traitor” and accusing him of trying to “steal” the upcoming general election. The discourse also revisits Spain’s 2021 policy change on Western Sahara, which had previously linked the Ceuta influx to the reception of Polisario leader Brahim Gali, underscoring the broader political stakes of the crisis.