Pedro Sánchez meets NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani amid Ceuta migrant crisis

Prime Minister **Pedro Sánchez** held a meeting with New York City Mayor **Zohran Mamdani** at a time of high tension due to the situation in Ceuta, where an estimated **10,000 migrants** are in precarious conditions.

Prime Minister **Pedro Sánchez** met on Wednesday, **September 23**, with New York City Mayor **Zohran Mamdani**. The meeting, also attended by the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration, **Elma Saiz**, took place in a political context marked by the migratory crisis in Ceuta. Meanwhile, other members of the Executive, such as the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, **Carlos Cuerpo**, and Ministers **José Manuel Albares**, **Margarita Robles**, **Arcadi España**, and **Fernando Grande-Marlaska**, participated in a plenary session of the Congress of Deputies.

## Ceuta crisis, a "pressure cooker"

The autonomous city of Ceuta finds itself in a situation described as unsustainable. According to police estimates, around **10,000 migrants** are believed to be residing irregularly in overcrowded apartments and abandoned houses. The president of the autonomous city, **Juan Jesús Vivas**, has expressed his concern, stating that "if Ceuta sinks, Spain sinks," and describing the city as a "pressure cooker." This statement underscores the gravity of the humanitarian and security crisis affecting the region.

The management of the migratory crisis has been a subject of political debate. ERC spokesperson in Congress, **Gabriel Rufián**, noted that President **Sánchez** is "starting to tell the truth" by acknowledging a "failure" at the Segarro border, though he considers the term a euphemism for what he calls an "attack" on Spain. For its part, the PSOE, through its spokesperson in Congress, **Patxi López**, admitted that Segarro's border control "failed" with the massive influx of migrants at the end of July, but qualified that the neighboring country "collaborated" afterward. López considers it evident that an entry of thousands of people implies a border failure.

## Family reunifications and guarantees of collaboration

In parallel to the crisis in Ceuta, family reunification procedures have been carried out. A total of **54 unaccompanied minors** who arrived in the autonomous city on **July 30 and 31** have been transferred to the Peninsula to reunite with their families. This process, according to the Ministry of Youth and Childhood, is standard when a minor is declared in a state of abandonment and family ties are verified. Currently, the Ceuta Minors Area is reviewing over **300 family reunification cases** in the Peninsula.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, **José Manuel Albares**, has assured that Segarro authorities have guaranteed Spain their collaboration to prevent a repeat of a massive illegal immigrant entry into Ceuta. This guarantee of cooperation aims to prevent future crises similar to the one that occurred at the end of July. The Minister of the Interior, **Fernando Grande-Marlaska**, defended the government's actions to restore normality in Ceuta, criticizing the PP for, in his view, having "forgotten" about this normality.

## Incidents in Congress

Political tension also manifested in the Congress of Deputies. PP deputy **Ana Vázquez** was expelled from the chamber by the President of Congress, **Francina Armengol**, after displaying a pepper spray, which **Armengol** described as "a weapon." This incident highlights the different perspectives and the climate of debate surrounding security and immigration.