The secretary-general of the Partido Popular in Catalonia, Juan Fernández, said on 19 August that Junts was partly right in its assessment that the migration situation in Ceuta affects Catalonia. The response, however, cannot be to break up or transfer state responsibilities for border control .
Fernández stressed the need for unified management of border protection. Border control is one of the state’s core responsibilities and must remain in the same hands to ensure clear accountability and an effective response. He rejected transferring it to the Generalitat or the Mossos d’Esquadra .
The comments came in an interview in which Fernández was asked about remarks by Junts secretary-general Jordi Turull Turull had again raised the prospect of greater powers for Catalonia in migration policy and stressed that what happens in Ceuta does not leave other regions unaffected. Fernández rejected the resulting demand to transfer border-control powers to Catalonia.
Fernández also criticised Junts’ migration policy during its previous periods in government in Catalonia and accused the party of exploiting the current situation for political ends. He argued that underage migrants should be returned to their countries of origin wherever possible, and said Spain must not become “Europe’s NGO”. Remarks of this kind reflect the Partido Popular’s established position: keeping key sovereign responsibilities with the state and preventing fragmentation.
The background is a heated debate sparked by the tense situation in Ceuta since early August. Junts is pressing for a greater role for the Generalitat in migration administration, while the government and Partido Popular warn against removing border control from the state level. Border control here refers in particular to responsibilities traditionally assigned to Spain’s central government; regional police forces such as the Mossos d’Esquadra primarily handle security within their own territory.
No concrete negotiations to transfer border control to Catalonia are currently known to be under way. The dispute over powers, responsibilities and their effects on migration management continues.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).