Outraged Spaniards have criticized Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, accusing his socialist government of enabling a surge of migrants into the country. The criticism intensified following an unprecedented influx of approximately 60,000 migrants into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from neighboring Morocco.
During a visit to Ceuta, Sánchez was met with boos and critical remarks from locals. One young Spanish-Italian entrepreneur, who is studying in the United States, told The Post that "everybody hates him" and described the situation as a "disgrace." He expressed concern that Spain now resembles a "third-world country," citing issues such as unsecured borders, alleged criminal backgrounds and diseases among new arrivals, and rising crime rates.
"Do you think it’s normal that people have to barbwire the terrace of their apartments?" the entrepreneur questioned, adding that his own car window was smashed in an attempted theft and his grandfather's car had been stolen three times. He also voiced concerns about squatters' rights.
Local residents in Ceuta shared their anger in interviews with Spanish media. One unnamed man blamed Sánchez directly, calling him a "scoundrel." Another resident, Rocio Gil, spoke tearfully about feeling "totally abandoned" and described the outlook as "catastrophic." She criticized the government for not declaring a national emergency or deploying the military sooner, stating, "We are scared, we cannot allow this to happen. Where are our rights as Spaniards? We are alone, we cannot call the police because they are overrun. We need urgent help, this is outrageous."
Opposition leaders also condemned Sánchez. Santiago Abascal, leader of the right-wing Vox party, labeled the prime minister a "traitor and mafioso who behaves like an enemy of Spain." He asserted that "every future rape or stabbing will have come from Pedro Sánchez, and his legacy is the collapse of our housing stock and our health care system."
Isabel Diaz Ayuso, president of the Madrid region for the right-wing Popular Party, accused Sánchez of "allowing the invasion of Spain via Ceuta" as a distraction from corruption allegations involving him, his wife, and his party.