The appearance in Congress of Elma Saiz to talk about Ceuta turned this Friday into a duel of Catholic references with the Vox deputy Juan José Aizcorbé. He had started by accusing the members of the Government of being “posh-progressives willing to cleanse their conscience with their parents’ money.” She responded that his party “is outside the Constitution” and quoted the Bible: “I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in” (Matthew: 25:35). He pulled out the wildcard of Monsignor Argüello and she put “his boss, the Pope” above him: “One cannot kneel before God and despise one’s brother.”
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“Charity,” “solidarity,” and “humanity” are the words that monopolized the almost three hours of intervention by the seventh minister who comes to the Lower House to report on her management in an unprecedented crisis, with 72,000 immigrants entering the autonomous city between July 30 and 31. Saiz reproached Vox for wanting to withdraw public aid to NGOs that assist immigrants, such as Cáritas, and the radical right deputy accused her of putting Maghrebis and Sub-Saharans above the people of Ceuta and of “continuing to treat Morocco as a reliable partner.”
Saiz avoided talking about Morocco, dodged all questions about minors, and refrained from commenting on whether the CNI had informed or not before the avalanche. The Minister of Migrations focused on defending that it is possible to “protect borders and preserve humanitarian values,” that “there is no contradiction between security and humanity,” and that “the firmness of the State and the dignity of people” are compatible.
But the PP deputy Sofía Acedo, who is from Melilla, exposed her when she reminded her that “there is no humanity in allowing thousands of people to wander the streets for weeks.”
“From the first moment”
All parties, from PP and Vox to Sumar and ERC passing through JxCAT and the PNV, reproached the minister for the Government’s “inaction” during the crisis and asked why it took so long to make decisions (18 days for Saiz to travel to Ceuta, 27 days to establish the unified command, 29 days to give explanations in Congress…). She responded that they acted “from the first moment” because her Ministry has “permanent presence” in the autonomous city.
Saiz traveled to Ceuta on the 17th to announce the installation of tents for 1,500 immigrants who were housed on the Trampolín beach and stayed several days until the transfer of the undocumented, although the beach filled again with other people. And she has not stopped being in contact with the authorities of the autonomous city. But no deputy—except Luc Diouf from PSOE—has forgiven that President Pedro Sánchez did not interrupt his vacation to respond to the crisis.
The minister has not been able to specify how many immigrants remain in Ceuta (this Friday the number of arrivals was reduced from 80,000 to 72,000), but she gave some data on what the reception has entailed. Between July 30 and August 27, 93,650 food packages have been distributed on Trampolín beach and other places, 1,396 female hygiene kits and 2,150 male hygiene kits. There have been 6,687 health care services provided at various points in Ceuta and 256 transfers to hospitals and health centers.
The Temporary Stay Center for Immigrants (CETI), which had capacity for 512 people, has been expanded by her ministry to 1,105 places thanks to the transfer of cots and bunk beds and the installation of a tent on the sports court.
To those 1,105 places must be added the 1,500 beds in tents that were decided to be set up after the meeting held on August 17 with Juan Jesús Vivas. Finally, more spaces have been enabled to relocate more than 1,800 immigrants. That is, a total of 2,905 beds if both are added.
5,000 immigrants in Ceuta
According to the Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, who announced during his appearance in Congress the construction of another CETI of “permanent character” with capacity for 800 people and said that 5,000 immigrants remain in the city.
Even if this center were built at high speed, 1,300 places would still be missing.
Saiz has announced that she has proposed a credit increase to raise the emergency aid for humanitarian care to 44.51 million euros (it is currently 6.43 million euros). The money will come from European funds.
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