Morocco has unequivocally rejected Spain’s allegations that it facilitated a substantial influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Rabat asserts that the root cause of the recent migration crisis lies in a Spanish judicial decision that, in its view, undermined deterrent measures against irregular immigration.

A senior Moroccan official highlighted that Spanish authorities should have foreseen the repercussions of a court ruling issued on July 8. This significant decision restricted the immediate repatriation of migrants arriving in Ceuta via maritime routes back to Morocco.

From Rabat’s perspective, this judicial development was swiftly exploited by smuggling networks, which disseminated information suggesting that migrants would now receive protection upon entering Spanish territory. The official expressed frustration, stating, « Europe expects us to prevent crossings, yet simultaneously extends a welcome when these crossings do occur. »

Earlier, Juan Jesús Vivas, the President of the Ceuta enclave, had explicitly accused Morocco of « encouraging and permitting » this surge in migration. Furthermore, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued a caution against any attempts to leverage irregular migration as a means of exerting pressure on a European Union member state.

For its part, Morocco firmly denies having relaxed its border controls or scaled back its security apparatus prior to the large-scale crossings observed last Thursday. Rabat maintains that it deploys approximately 24,000 security personnel along its northern coastline specifically to combat irregular migration.

Moroccan authorities report having thwarted 79,000 crossing attempts in the current year and an additional 74,000 in preceding periods. They emphasize that migration control cooperation with Spain had been « exemplary » up until the aforementioned judicial decision in July.

Finally, Rabat urges Madrid to reinstate an effective deterrent mechanism, while simultaneously affirming that Morocco « will never be complicit in an approach to migration that is solely focused on security. »