Andalusian regional president Juanma Moreno has promised full support to Ceuta to manage a health emergency following a massive arrival of irregular migrants.
Moreno became the first regional leader to visit the Spanish enclave in North Africa, offering to cover all costs required for its business and tourism relaunch. He described Andalusia as a brother territory to Ceuta and confirmed he would take the crisis to the European Committee of the Regions.
Ceuta is a Spanish autonomous city located on the north coast of Africa, sharing a land border with Morocco. Andalusia, located across the Strait of Gibraltar in southern Spain, maintains close geographic, political, and economic links with the city.
The regional administration in Andalusia accused the central government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of acting late and poorly by delaying the creation of a single command to coordinate the response. Regional officials stated that central leaders were on vacation while local residents remained locked inside their homes.
Emergency aid and central government criticism
Jose Antonio Nieto, the Andalusian regional minister for artificial intelligence, digital development and public administration, detailed further assistance following a Monday decision by Spain's Public Health Commission to send up to 45,000 vaccine doses to Ceuta.
The preventive health package consists of 15,000 doses of the MMR triple viral vaccine, 10,000 doses for diphtheria and tetanus, 10,000 doses for chickenpox, and 10,000 doses for polio.
Nieto stated that Andalusia would provide all requested assistance, but emphasised that aid should be delivered promptly on the ground. In statements reported by news agencies Efe and Europa Press, he compared the situation to a fire, noting that authorities must act immediately to minimise damage rather than waiting for circumstances to extinguish the blaze.
Vaccine allocation and border control concerns
Nieto recalled that Ceuta President Juan Jesus Vivas had requested a single ministerial coordinator from the first day of the emergency. He stated that selecting a single command from among central ministers was a straightforward decision that should have been made immediately.
The Andalusian minister asserted that national authorities should have prevented 80,000 people from passing through the border fence. He said that doubling the population of Ceuta through irregular border crossings demonstrated clear incompetence by the central government.
Nieto added that central authorities should have assumed direct responsibility at the outset instead of claiming the crisis was solely the responsibility of the autonomous city administration.
Municipal support and citizen mobilisations
Maria Jose Garcia-Pelayo, mayor of Jerez de la Frontera and president of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, called on towns across Spain to organise supportive demonstrations. The rallies are intended to support a citizen mobilisation scheduled for September 2, coinciding with Ceuta Day.
Garcia-Pelayo stated during her visit to Ceuta that residents were not alone and possessed the affection and respect of local councils across Spain. She expressed shared concern over the situation, criticized the central executive for reacting late, and demanded effective solutions.
The local mobilisations follow the departure of a citizen fleet from the Costa del Sol, which set sail to demonstrate support for Ceuta in the aftermath of the border crisis.
