Spanish Government Dodges Questions on Polisario Leader’s Controversial Entry

"The decision to welcome Ghali in Spain was made due to his serious health condition and has no political connotation. He entered with identity documents in his name." This is the brief response given by the Spanish Executive to the questions of PP deputies Eloy Lamata, Valentina Martínez Ferro and Marta González Vázquez.

These MPs wanted to have details on the entry of the Polisario Front leader in Spain, "in secret and with a false passport" and the reasons why the government "did not inform Morocco of his presence on Spanish territory", informs Europa Press. To this last question, the Executive replied that "the diplomatic services of Spain and Morocco have addressed this issue on many occasions", after Ghali’s entry.

For her part, the PP spokeswoman in Congress, Cuca Gamarra, asked whether the government had made "means of transport available to Ghali after landing at Zaragoza airport". She also asked to know the authority "that chose the hospital where he should go" and the criteria that allowed this decision to be made. In response, the government simply stated that "the decision to admit Brahim Ghali to the San Pedro hospital (in Logroño) was based on health reasons", adding without further details that "the transfer from Zaragoza was made by ambulance".

To the question of the Junts deputy as to "what measures the Executive intends to take to restore its diplomatic relations with Morocco", the government referred the MP to the interventions of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya, in Congress on May 26 and June 9. As for the question of the Ciudadanos deputy concerning the situation in Ceuta and Melilla after the massive influx of migrants in May, the Executive simply thanked the EU institutions and member states for their support.