The leader of Vox, Santiago Abascal, on 10 November 2026, defended the controversial phrase cazar inmigrantes his parliamentary group’s manager José María Figaredo defended. Abascal justified the wording by citing an invasion he alleged had taken place in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta and said the events had destroyed coexistence. This is his political assessment; there is no official finding to that effect.
Figaredo had already used the verb cazar in connection with people who had entered Ceuta without permission during a television appearance in August 2026. The remark drew criticism across party lines. Opponents accused Vox of dehumanising migrants and possibly inciting violence. Activists and opposition parties said such language damaged the social climate and made the authorities’ work more difficult.
The controversy also had legal repercussions: according to reports at the time, the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Supreme Court was asked to assess whether Figaredo’s wording might constitute incitement to hatred or violence. Whether this led to investigations or decisions remains unclear at present; the judicial authorities would be responsible. Vox rejects the allegation and emphasises the security and public-order aspects of events in Ceuta.
Abascal’s defence today comes amid an ongoing domestic debate about migration and border controls at Spain’s North African exclaves. While the government in Madrid regularly describes the situation as manageable and points to existing agreements with Morocco and the deployment of Spanish security forces, Vox uses the events as evidence of what it considers inadequate border security and calls for tougher measures. Both interpretations are politically disputed; the actual number of arrivals, measures taken by the Guardia Civil and procedures at the border installations are matters for the authorities and are subject to ongoing situation assessments.
What is established is that Abascal defended the wording cazar inmigrantes, and Figaredo used the verb publicly. Any legal consequences remain to be seen. Whatever the outcome, the episode underlines how sharply Spain’s migration debate is focused on Ceuta — and how much words can intensify political conflict.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).