Protests in Spain over government's handling of Ceuta migrant crisis

Thousands of individuals have protested in cities throughout Spain over the government's handling of the influx of migrants to the Spanish exclave of Ceuta on the north African coast.

Key points

• PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo was at the rally in Madrid, where more than 50, 000 individuals gathered, according to administration figures.
• While the administration states right-wing parties are exploiting the crisis, spanish opposition parties accuse Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of abandoning the residents of Ceuta.
• Vox leader Santiago Abascal meanwhile remarked Sánchez was "at the service, like a lackey, of the Moroccan regime".
• On Wednesday a police report remarked Moroccan security forces demonstrated "total permissiveness" during the unprecedented influx, days after Sánchez insisted Morocco was not responsible.
• There was additionally a major rally in Ceuta itself, with participants chanting: "Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta must be defended."

He has blamed trafficking gangs and online misinformation for encouraging individuals to cross the border. Morocco has denied orchestrating or being involved in the mass crossing.

As plenty of as 5, 000 remain in makeshift camps or scattered throughout the city's streets or on the beach – leading to unrest in the autonomous city in North Africa and a crisis for Sánchez, at least 72, 000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta on 30 and 31 July and although most have returned.

There have been near-daily protests by locals, with demonstrators calling for the migrants to be sent back to their countries of origin or redistributed throughout Spain.

Wednesday's rallies were called by city councils throughout Spain where opposition parties – the conservative Partido Popular (PP) and the far-right Vox party – govern or have significant popularity. Demonstrators called on Sánchez to resign.

"A Spanish city has been invaded, occupied and, unfortunately, this happened with the knowledge of the Government of Spain, " he remarked.

"The response has been inadequate, late and, to top it all, has involved a complete dereliction of duty on the part of the government, " 45-year-old teacher David Hernandez informed Reuters.

"We cannot be second-class citizens, and our border must not be sidelined."

Pressure on Sánchez's administration has intensified after Spanish media stated the report submitted by the National Police's National Immigration and Borders Centre (CENIF) to the National Court pointed to the involvement of Moroccan gendarmes in the migrant crossings.

Meanwhile, the police report asserted that the Moroccan police deployment around the border "was clearly smaller than usual" and cited migrants who spoke of a "passive attitude" as the crossings happened.

Nevertheless the report did not categorically accuse Morocco of being behind the influx. Sexual assaults happening almost every day in Ceuta, prosecutors say.

Morocco has a long-standing claim over Ceuta and its fellow autonomous city of Melilla. It have long been a flashpoint in diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Plenty of social media posts appeared in August portraying the border fence between Morocco and Ceuta as safe and straightforward, even though at least 100 individuals died while trying to swim around the border fence, according to figures from the mayor.

When the influx began, messages circulated on Moroccan social media encouraging residents to attempt the crossing, after a June ruling by Spain's Supreme Court, spanish fact-checking website Maldita remarked before 30 July.

Taken together, the developments around protests in Spain over government' s handling of Ceuta migrant crisis point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.