Sánchez branded a ‘traitor’ to his country as the migrant crisis triggers Spanish fury

Spain’s Socialist prime minister Pedro Sánchez has clashed with opposition leader Santiago Abascal over the government’s handling of a migrant crisis in Ceuta, as pressure mounts on Madrid over the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants at the Spanish exclave.

The confrontation took place during an acrimonious parliamentary session in which Abascal, leader of the rightwing Vox party, accused Sánchez of being overly accommodating towards Morocco, which borders Ceuta on Spain’s North African frontier.

Abascal described the prime minister as a “traitor” and a “dog” and questioned whether Sánchez was being “blackmailed” by Rabat over the crisis.

“I will be a dog, but I have no master,” Sánchez replied.

Abascal subsequently held up a series of sheets of paper spelling out “traidor”, Spanish for “traitor”, as the exchange continued.

Earlier, the Vox leader had accused Sánchez of being “At the service, like a lackey, of the Moroccan regime”.

The confrontation reflects growing political pressure on Sánchez over migration and border security. Thousands of migrants who entered Ceuta have subsequently been returned to Morocco, while others remain in the Spanish territory, including in makeshift camps.

The dispute has intensified following the publication of a police report that accused Moroccan security forces of “total permissiveness” during the episode.

Previously declassified communications from Spain’s National Intelligence Centre also indicated that authorities had been warned of a potential attempted crossing before the surge.

“There are two different groups with a total of 180,000 followers. To give you an idea of its scale,” an intelligence message reportedly said, warning of “an assault on the fence and by sea” a day before the incident.

The episode has prompted demonstrations across Spain, with protesters demanding Sánchez’s resignation and accusing his government of failing to protect the country’s borders.

Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the opposition Partido Popular, addressed a crowd of about 50,000 people in Madrid last week, saying: “A Spanish city has been invaded, occupied, and, unfortunately, this happened with the knowledge of the Government of Spain.”

Demonstrations have also taken place in Ceuta, where protesters have voiced concerns over the territory’s security and its relationship with Morocco.

“Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta must be defended,” demonstrators chanted.

The dispute adds to the broader political pressure facing Sánchez as migration remains one of the most contentious issues in Spanish politics, while Madrid continues to balance border enforcement with its diplomatic relationship with Morocco.