The political fight over Ceuta’s migrant crisis has intensified, with the PSOE accusing the PP of prioritizing election strategy over practical solutions. The Socialists say the opposition is more interested in using the humanitarian emergency to attack Pedro Sánchez’s government than in resolving it.
The latest dispute centers on the planned visit to Ceuta by Alberto Núñez Feijóo and Manfred Weber. PSOE officials see it as an attempt to keep the crisis in the headlines. They argue the PP wants to undermine government efforts and trigger political fallout, especially as the latest CIS poll shows the PSOE’s lead narrowing by two points. A recent European Parliament briefing says about 70,000 to 80,000 people entered Ceuta after a mass border crossing at the end of July 2026, placing severe strain on the city and its accommodation system.
By September 9 to 11, Spanish authorities had prepared around 3,400 places for migrant accommodation in Ceuta, while 2,100 unaccompanied minors, including 700 girls, were registered in the city’s reception system.
Behind the scenes, the government is still dealing with thousands of irregular migrants in Ceuta. The PSOE says the PP, at both national and regional levels, has blocked or delayed practical measures. One example is Ceuta’s president, Juan Jesús Vivas, who initially approved using the port for accommodation but withdrew his support after neighborhood protests. PP-led regions have also resisted taking in 500 unaccompanied migrant girls, while Navarra, governed by the Socialists, received the first group last week. Official statements say the transfer of minors has become a fresh point of conflict between the central government and several autonomous communities.
Montse Mínguez, speaking for the PSOE executive, criticized the PP’s stance, saying Ceuta’s well-being is being sacrificed for political theater. She said the opposition was focused on attacking Pedro Sánchez and had little interest in stabilizing the city. Mínguez also cited emergency contracts awarded by the Ceuta government to relatives of trusted officials, as reported by eldiario.es, suggesting the crisis was being used for political and financial gain. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said there is no convincing evidence that Morocco orchestrated the mass crossing. Declassified documents released in early September, he said, do not support the idea of a premeditated crisis. Several international reports make a similar point: Spanish intelligence saw online campaigns encouraging crossings, but did not view them as signs of the scale of the influx that followed.
The PSOE leadership remains defiant, even as some in the party are uneasy about the government’s handling of the situation. Mínguez said the Socialists had emerged stronger from past crises, dismissing Feijóo’s repeated predictions of Sánchez’s political downfall. She also criticized the PP’s calls for snap elections, particularly after the Supreme Court provisionally suspended voting rights for thousands of new Spanish citizens under the Ley de Memoria. The Central Electoral Board has complied with the court’s order, but the PSOE questions the legal and democratic basis for excluding these voters.
Vivas has called on the EU for urgent assistance, demanding stronger border security and a plan for migrant returns. He has also accused Morocco of exerting political pressure on the city. The EU is sending a technical mission to assess the situation, a sign that the crisis could soon become a broader European issue.
As the crisis enters its seventh week, the government has set no timeline for restoring normality in Ceuta. The Socialists say only a unified state response can resolve the situation, while the PP continues to blame Sánchez’s leadership. The standoff has deepened divisions between Spain’s two basic parties and among its autonomous communities, with some regions refusing to share responsibility for migrant care.
Political maneuvering around Ceuta’s migrant influx is not new. As reported earlier, the crisis has already prompted legal investigations and exposed rifts within the ruling coalition. The latest escalation shows political interests taking priority over coordinated action, leaving Ceuta’s residents and migrants in continuing uncertainty. The PSOE’s accusations against the PP reflect a broader pattern in Spanish politics: parties often use crises for electoral gain instead of working toward practical solutions. Until both sides put the city’s stability ahead of partisan advantage, political calculation will continue to obstruct Ceuta’s return to normality.
