Palma (Spain).- Felipe VI has expressed his “concern and indignation” regarding the “serious” events that took place in the city of Ceuta, as well as in Melilla, and has pointed out that the State must ensure the security of the Spanish autonomous cities and prevent these events from happening again.
As reported by the Royal Household in a message made public this Saturday, the Spanish Head of State followed “with great concern and indignation” the serious events in Ceuta and, to a lesser extent, in Melilla.
In this migration crisis, estimates from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior calculated that around 50,000 migrants entered the Spanish city of Ceuta irregularly from Morocco, most of them by swimming.
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In light of this, Felipe VI underscored the need to adopt all measures that convey “in a united, clear, and decisive manner to the populations of Ceuta and Melilla the support and affection of the rest of Spain”.
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“The State must ensure their safety and prevent these events–which have also resulted in a sad and tragic loss of dozens of lives–from happening again,” added the Spanish monarch.
Throughout these days marked by the massive influx of migrants, the King, who is in Palma (on the Spanish archipelago in the Mediterranean), remained in contact with both the presidents of the two Autonomous Cities (Ceuta and Melilla), as well as with the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez (PSOE), and the leader of the opposition, Alberto Núñez Feijóo (PP).
The Spanish Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, highlighted today that “in 24 hours” the situation created by the irregular entry of more than 50,000 people into Ceuta was reversed and that the autonomous city is returning to normal.
For his part, the President of Ceuta, the conservative Juan Jesús Vivas, warned today that the city “has not recovered” normality because there are still “thousands of people” on the streets, which is why he maintained that the crisis “remains open”.
Meanwhile, Sánchez requested an extraordinary meeting from Brussels “with urgent character” of the European Union’s Interior Ministers to address this migration crisis.
In a letter addressed to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the Head of Government of the Republic of Ireland, for currently holding the rotating presidency of the Council of Europe, Sánchez expressed his “deep concern” regarding the reaction of some European governments.
Since the massive influx of people from Morocco into Ceuta began on Thursday, the number of bodies recovered on the coast of the Spanish city has risen to 67, according to data provided to EFE by authorities in that border town.
