Spain and Morocco have agreed to the accelerated return of migrants who arrived in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta following a mass influx of illegal migrants.
This decision comes amid a rise in the number of arrivals, some of whom reached the territory by swimming around the border fence. On Thursday, Spain announced plans to deploy troops to its North African enclave of Ceuta to bolster security. The President of Ceuta, Juan Jesus Vivas, urged the Spanish government to declare a state of emergency and take charge of crisis management in the autonomous city, citing significant pressure on local services and the need for additional resources.
Position of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Court Decisions
The Ministry of Internal Affairs initially dismissed the possibility of declaring a state of emergency, stating that Spanish civil protection regulations do not categorize migration flows as a risk covered by the National Civil Protection System. Minister of Internal Affairs Fernando Grande-Marlaska plans to visit Ceuta to meet with local officials and assess the situation firsthand.
The Ministry also indicated that human trafficking networks and illegal migrant smuggling may be exploiting a recent court ruling to encourage new attempts at illegal border crossings. This ruling specifies that individuals who cross the border by swimming, without breaching the physical barriers of the border fence, are not subject to immediate return without an individual case being opened. Consequently, many crossing through Tarajal cannot be returned promptly.
Conflicting Assessments of Cooperation
The Embassy of Morocco in Madrid attributed the mass arrivals to criminal organizations involved in human trafficking and illegal migrant smuggling, describing cooperation with Spain on migration as exemplary. Moroccan diplomatic sources maintain that recent attempts at illegal entry do not indicate any intention by the authorities in Rabat to facilitate these movements.
However, sources from the Civil Guard in Ceuta challenged the extent of this cooperation, stating that support from the Moroccan gendarmerie on the ground has been limited and insufficient to manage the pressure at the border. This contradicts the statements of the Spanish government regarding active cooperation with Morocco.
Spain and Morocco agreed on Thursday to enhance coordination between the two countries and review procedures to maximize the accelerated return of individuals who illegally entered Ceuta. Currently, no specific timeline has been set for implementing these measures.
Source: Euronews
