Agadir \u2013 Spain\u2019s government has approved a new command to coordinate its response to the migrants\u2019 return from Ceuta, following the mass crossings at the end of July.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to the Spanish media, the decision was adopted today following a meeting of Spain\u2019s National Security Council, chaired by Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez.<\/p>\n
Government spokesperson and Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration Elma Saiz said the new structure would establish a \u201cfunctional authority\u201d to strengthen coordination among the various institutions involved in managing the crisis.<\/p>\n
The single command will operate through a specialized<\/a> committee comprising Ceuta President Juan Jes\u00fas Vivas, the Government Delegation in the city, the National Intelligence Center (CNI), the Department of National Security, and representatives from 11 ministries involved in the response.<\/p>\n Spain\u2019s Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory \u00c1ngel V\u00edctor Torres, in charge of the operation, said the government\u2019s response would now enter a second phase, with the priority shifting toward the \u201creturn and repatriation\u201d of migrants who remain in Ceuta.<\/p>\n According to Torres, between 90% and 95% of the more than 70,000 migrants who entered the city on July 30 and 31 returned to Morocco within 24 to 48 hours.\u00a0<\/p>\n The minister said the government aims to return and repatriate as many people as possible, including adults and minors, while respecting Spanish law and migrants\u2019 rights.<\/p>\n This response by the Spanish government has been described<\/a> by some international media outlets as delayed, with reports claiming that S\u00e1nchez did not address the situation until after his summer vacation.<\/p>\n The lack of an immediate response, coupled with inadequate access to basic necessities, reportedly<\/a> left many migrants vulnerable to difficult conditions and potential abuse.<\/p>\n