MADRID — Thousands of people gathered in Madrid on Saturday to express dissatisfaction with the Spanish government’s response to a recent migrant influx in the North African Spanish enclave of Ceuta. The demonstrators criticized the authorities for what they described as inadequate border protection and called for an early general election.

Ceuta, a small Spanish territory on the southern coast of Morocco, has faced a humanitarian challenge since the end of July, when over 70,000 migrants crossed into the city over two days. While a majority were returned to Morocco within hours, several thousand have remained, overwhelming local services and intensifying political tensions for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialist government.

The protest was organized by the right-leaning civil society group Sociedad Civil Española and received backing from the conservative People’s Party (PP) and the far-right Vox party. Demonstrators, many holding Spanish flags, marched through central Madrid chanting slogans such as “Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta must be defended.”

Estimates of the crowd size varied significantly. The government’s representative in Madrid estimated approximately 20,000 participants, while organizers claimed the turnout reached 180,000.

During the demonstration, speakers presented a manifesto demanding the immediate return of all migrants who crossed into Ceuta, an early general election to be held by November 15, and legal action against Prime Minister Sanchez, accusing him of “treason.” Miguel Tellado, the PP’s parliamentary spokesman, told reporters that “there is clear negligence” and that “the majority of Spaniards are calling for an election now.” Spain’s next scheduled general election is set for no later than August 2027.

In response to the ongoing situation, Spain’s central government is reportedly preparing a decree to expedite the repatriation of migrants from Ceuta to Morocco. The measure is expected to be on the agenda at the Cabinet meeting planned for Tuesday.