PP will attend August 13 government meeting on Ceuta migrant minors, breaking with Vox boycott

PP confirms attendance, breaks with Vox

The Partido Popular has confirmed its autonomous communities will attend the August 13 technical meeting convened by Youth and Childhood Minister Sira Rego to address the redistribution of unaccompanied foreign minors who arrived in Ceuta, despite Vox's refusal to participate. PP Deputy Secretary for Regional Policy Elías Bendodo announced the decision at a press conference in Barcelona on August 10, alongside Barcelona PP leader Daniel Sirera.

Es bueno escuchar aunque estemos totalmente en contra de las propuestas del Gobierno.

The meeting, held by videoconference, will gather directors general from the relevant regional departments, the level below regional ministers (consejeros). It serves as preparation for a later sectoral conference at the consejero level. Police have registered 1,342 unaccompanied minors in Ceuta to date, with dozens more still gathering at the police headquarters to register.

Vox boycott and coalition tensions

Vox holds the vicepresidencies in the four regions where it governs with the PP: Andalucía, Aragón, Extremadura, and Castilla y León. In the latter three, Vox controls the childhood portfolio. On August 7, Vox sent letters to Minister Rego announcing it would not attend the sectoral commission. Vox leader Santiago Abascal has stated that "ni un euro de los españoles" should go to unaccompanied migrant minors, whom Vox refers to as "invasors."

Andalucía, where the PP holds the childhood portfolio, had not yet decided its participation as of August 10. Sources at the Andalusian presidency in San Telmo acknowledged discomfort, viewing the meeting as a way for the central government to generate noise rather than address the Ceuta crisis directly. Bendodo distanced the PP from Vox, saying the two are "dos partidos distintos" with different strategies. He said the PP had received no proposal from Vox on the matter. In 2024, Vox abandoned its coalition positions over the same issue of migrant minor reception.

Attacks on Sánchez and diplomatic tensions

Bendodo accused Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of remaining on vacation while the crisis persists.

Hemos pedido por tierra, mar y aire que el presidente del Gobierno salga de la playa, se levante de la tumbona de una vez, que ha habido una avalancha en su frontera.

He also accused the government of lying about migrants having returned to Morocco. The PP criticized Sánchez for opening a diplomatic conflict with Italy while not resolving the crisis with Morocco. Italy imposed border controls on travelers from Spain on August 1, citing security concerns within the Schengen area. Spain called the measure "desproporcionada y discriminatoria," demanded its withdrawal, and responded with random controls on passengers arriving from Italy, in effect until September 7.

Vox separately seeks to activate Article 102 of the Constitution to open a Supreme Court criminal investigation against Sánchez over his handling of the Ceuta crisis. Vox holds 33 deputies but needs 88 to bring the initiative to a vote, and 176 for approval. Bendodo said he had no information about the proposal.