72,000 crossings into Sebta: Sánchez accuses Morocco of failing
Pedro Sánchez is now openly attributing the exceptional influx of migrants into Sebta to a failure of the Moroccan system. The Spanish head of government is demanding explanations from Rabat, while still refusing to accuse it of deliberately organizing the crossings.
“It is obvious that its border control failed.” Interviewed by CNN in New York, where he is attending the United Nations General Assembly, Pedro Sánchez directly called into question the effectiveness of the system deployed by Morocco around Sebta.
Some 72,000 people had reached the Spanish enclave on 30 and 31 July, on foot or by swimming from Moroccan territory. The majority returned to Morocco in the following hours or days, but several thousand migrants remained there, causing reception capacities to become saturated.
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The Prime Minister says that Spain is still investigating the circumstances of this unprecedented influx. Madrid has also asked Rabat to provide answers and take the necessary measures to prevent a similar situation from happening again, reports EFE.
Sánchez still refuses to accuse Rabat of organizing the influx
This statement does not, however, mean that the Spanish government considers the operation to have been planned by the Moroccan authorities. Pedro Sánchez maintains that, at this stage, no solid evidence makes it possible to assert that Rabat devised or organized the mass crossings.
On Bladi.net : 72,000 crossings into Sebta: Spanish police accuse Morocco of organizing everything
Pedro Sánchez nevertheless stresses the need to preserve a positive relationship with Morocco. This cooperation is particularly essential for organizing the return of migrants who are not eligible for international protection in Spain.
The Spanish government must simultaneously examine the situation of the people who remained in Sebta. Any asylum applications must be assessed individually, while unaccompanied minors cannot be summarily returned. Sánchez assures that Spain will seek to restore order without compromising the migrants’ dignity.
