Politics · Spain · 4 hrs ago
Sánchez says Ceuta crisis could have been handled better
Pedro Sánchez said Spain could have handled the Ceuta crisis better in a televised interview.
The crisis involved a mass entry of people into the Spanish territory of Ceuta on July 30 and 31.
Sánchez defended the government’s response, saying a more aggressive approach might have caused more deaths; 141 people died during the entry.
He said the government had arranged places for migrants and recorded more than 12,000 voluntary returns to Morocco.
Sánchez also called corruption cases linked to the Socialist Workers’ Party a double disappointment and one of his biggest mistakes in office.
He said he had not suspected his former close ally José Luis Ábalos, who is now in prison.
He defended the government’s handling of the border and its efforts to fight people-smuggling networks, while saying that controlling borders should not mean treating migrants inhumanely.
Pedro Sánchez said the response to the mass entry of people into Ceuta could have been handled better.
The Spanish prime minister made the admission in an interview on La Revuelta, nearly three months after the events.
He defended the authorities’ actions, saying a more aggressive response might have led to more deaths.
Sánchez said 141 people died during the mass entry and that the government had invested millions of euros in the border.
He also cited more than 12,000 voluntary returns to Morocco in recent months.
- Who
- Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s prime minister.
- What
- He acknowledged that the Ceuta crisis could have been managed better while defending the government’s response.
- When
- Thursday, October 22, 2026, according to the article’s publication date. The events took place on July 30 and 31.
- Where
- Ceuta, Spain; Sánchez made the comments in an interview on La Revuelta.
- Why
- He said the situation was difficult and argued that a more aggressive response could have caused more deaths.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A mass entry of people into Ceuta took place.
In an interview on La Revuelta, Sánchez said the crisis could have been managed better.
- Location
- Ceuta
- Dates of mass entry
- July 30 and 31
- Deaths
- 141 people, according to Sánchez
- Voluntary returns
- More than 12,000 to Morocco, according to Sánchez
- Border investment
- Millions of euros, according to Sánchez
What people are saying
If we had done something more aggressive, we would be talking about a higher number
It is a difficult, complex situation, and we are managing it well
The strength of the State does not mean inhuman treatment of migrants