New clash between the PP and the Government over the management of the migration crisis in Ceuta. The health situation in the autonomous city remains at the center of controversy, and this Sunday the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has asked Pedro Sánchez to decree a lockdown of sick immigrants due to “health risk” in light of cases of scabies and tuberculosis.
Read more Atlético — Villarreal live
“We are talking about infectious diseases. I believe the conditions for lockdown due to health risk are met. I do not have all the data because obviously we do not have them from the opposition, but I suggest that the Government carefully consider the possibility of decreeing lockdown for public health reasons,” the popular leader said in an interview with Europa Press following the massive entry of more than 70,000 illegal migrants.
The PP leader referred to the appearance of cases of tuberculosis, gastroenteritis, some chickenpox infections, and the scabies outbreak, which has even spread to soldiers or police officers after speaking with the president of the Ceuta Medical Association and the head of the nursing college to understand the situation in hospitals and emergency services.
“If we have 10,000 people wandering the streets, between the beaches, hills, and ravines of Ceuta, without shelter, without care, and in unsanitary conditions, it is evident that the risk of infectious diseases is there and that in these cases we must act according to public health parameters,” he warned.
A situation that for the president of the Popular Party may represent a “health risk” and for which the “lockdown” of people with these diseases should be considered.
Feijóo also criticized that the minister, Mónica García, took 17 days to visit the autonomous city considering the crisis and complaints about the health situation in the area, a complaint he extended to part of the Government. “I would be incapable of being on vacation when part of your country is in this situation.”
Following Feijóo’s statements putting the worrying health situation in Ceuta back at the center of the debate, Minister García herself responded and rejected the proposal on social media, considering it “unjustified,” “excessive,” and adding that “it could be counterproductive.” She also recalled that “the competencies in public health matters in Ceuta belong to the Government of the City of Ceuta.”
“This is a concept with important legal implications, to be distinguished from the isolation situation derived from a diagnosis for which it is indicated. It should be remembered that Organic Law 3/1986, of April 14, on Special Measures in Public Health, speaks of the existence of ‘rational indications,’ and it does not seem that with what we have today this is the case,” the minister added.
The head of the Health portfolio explained the situation case by case a week after visiting the area. According to the minister, the Coordination Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies considers that the risk of contagion for the resident population is “low,” while the isolated cases of tuberculosis or chickenpox – three of each disease – are isolated episodes. Regarding gastroenteritis, she mentioned 55 “probable E.coli cases, which in her opinion are due to deficiencies in access to drinking water already resolved and do not justify the adoption of special measures.
Regarding scabies, García used statistics and cited a study published in 2025 in Eurosurveillance according to which scabies “in Spain was much more frequent than previously thought,” being more common “where there were clearer detection programs,” citing the case of Euskadi as an example. She also provided the data that “between 2021 and 2023, 1,529 outbreaks with a total of 11,301 cases were detected in Spain.” The minister emphasized that the control of these cases “is being handled by the government of the city of Ceuta.”
Just tomorrow, three weeks after the illegal entry of more than 70,000 migrants into Ceuta, the Public Health Commission of the Ministry of Health urgently convenes the autonomous communities to agree on sending vaccines to Ceuta following the massive arrival of immigrants since July 30. According to the Ministry of Health, the meeting will activate the solidarity mechanism for sending vaccines.
Among the most requested are the MMR vaccine, chickenpox, polio, tetanus, and diphtheria. The meeting will be held online starting at 12:00 hours
