Morocco has firmly rejected Spain’s allegations that it deliberately facilitated the sudden influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Authorities in Rabat argue that the crisis stems from a Spanish court ruling in July that weakened deterrence measures against illegal immigration.
A senior Moroccan official pointed out that the Spanish judiciary’s decision, which limits the immediate repatriation of migrants arriving by sea in Ceuta, was swiftly exploited by human trafficking networks. These groups spread claims that migrants would now be shielded from deportation once inside Spanish territory. « Europe demands we prevent crossings, yet rolls out the red carpet when they occur, » the official stated.
Ceuta’s president, Juan Jesús Vivas, had earlier accused Morocco of « encouraging and enabling » the mass migration wave. Meanwhile, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, warned against weaponizing irregular migration to pressure an EU member state.
Morocco insists it neither relaxed border controls nor reduced security measures prior to last Thursday’s surge. The country maintains a robust deployment of nearly 24,000 security personnel along its northern coastline to curb clandestine migration.
Rabat reports thwarting 79,000 crossing attempts in 2024 and another 74,000 in early 2026. Authorities describe the collaboration with Spain on migration control as « exemplary » until the July judicial decision took effect.
The Moroccan government has called on Madrid to reinstate effective deterrence mechanisms while affirming that it « will never be complicit in a purely securitized approach to migration. »
