Morocco stated that it had previously warned Spain about the potential consequences of the Supreme Court’s decision, which on July 8 ruled against the immediate return of migrants arriving by sea. According to Moroccan officials, this decision could contribute to a further migration crisis in Ceuta. Meanwhile, Madrid blames criminal groups for spreading disinformation about the court ruling, which has fueled the mass influx of people.
A high-ranking Moroccan official reported that Rabat had alerted Spain about the risks following the court’s decision. Last week, at least 50,000 people, mostly Moroccan citizens, entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on foot or by swimming from the neighboring city of Fnideq.
The unprecedented influx quickly overwhelmed the Spanish enclave, prompting the return of thousands of migrants to Morocco. “We discussed this decision and its consequences. We explained that it would create a problem. And it indeed created one,” said the Moroccan official.
Spanish government spokeswoman Elma Saiz rejected these claims. “We received no evidence or messages warning us about the scale of this unprecedented event,” she told journalists in Madrid.
Morocco denies border security failure
The Moroccan official emphasized that the mass movement of people to Ceuta was not due to a failure of the country’s security system. “It would be too simplistic to claim that Morocco simply had to use force to stop the people. This would mean completely misunderstanding the nature of this phenomenon,” he said. “Could Spain, seeing their approach, stop them only with weapons and security forces? It is impossible.”
According to him, at a certain point, Moroccan law enforcement could no longer contain the crowd due to its size and because “the pull effect was very strong.” “Migration management is not the sole responsibility of Morocco,” he noted, adding that the kingdom spends about 500 million euros a year on managing migration processes.
Cooperation and further challenges
At the same time, the official stressed that Rabat and Madrid acted “as reliable partners” and continue to work “in perfect coordination” in the field of migration. “Now Spain must find answers to the challenges that have arisen after this court decision,” he said.
“Morocco’s commitments remain unchanged. We take back those who managed to cross the border, prevent as many attempts of illegal departure as possible, and will continue to do so,” the official added. In turn, Elma Saiz stated that “Spain’s exceptional response in such a short time” would not have been possible without Morocco’s cooperation.
