Spain’s PP breaks with Vox, will attend migrant minors meeting

Spain’s main opposition party, the People’s Party (PP), will attend a government meeting on Thursday about the care of unaccompanied migrant minors, breaking with its far-right coalition partner Vox. The meeting comes after thousands of people, including many children, entered the Spanish city of Ceuta in North Africa, overwhelming local services. Many minors are still sleeping on the streets. PP’s national leadership confirmed the attendance. Party official Elías Bendodo said, “We are willing to attend. It is good to listen, even if we disagree.” Vox, which governs with the PP in four regions, has refused to attend. The party has called the migrant arrivals an “invasion” and opposes any distribution of minors among Spain’s regions. The PP’s decision puts it at odds with Vox, its main ally. In three regions—Aragón, Extremadura, and Castilla y León—Vox controls the departments responsible for minors. It is unclear if those regional governments will send representatives. The PP and Vox have clashed on this issue before. In 2024, Vox left regional governments over the same topic. The Spanish government says regions cannot legally refuse to accept the minors. They could only challenge individual cases, which might delay transfers by a few days.