Thousands of people marched through Madrid on Saturday to protest the Spanish government's handling of the migrant crisis in Ceuta, the Spanish enclave in North Africa. Demonstrators demanded an early general election and tougher border policies.

The march, organized by the civil society group Sociedad Civil Española and backed by the conservative People's Party and the far-right Vox, went from Plaza de Cibeles toward Moncloa. The government's representative in Madrid estimated turnout at about 20,000, while organizers claimed 180,000.

The crisis began on July 30 and 31, when more than 70,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta. Most returned within hours, but thousands stayed for weeks, many sleeping on the streets and straining the small city's services.

A manifesto from the organizers called for elections by November 15 and the return of the migrants to Morocco. The newspaper El País reported that the government plans to approve a decree at Tuesday's cabinet meeting to speed up returns.

Spain's next general election is due by August 2027, making the protest an early test of how migration will shape the campaign.