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Moroccan Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita has responded to Spain’s criticism about Morocco’s efforts to tackle migration issues amid the Ceuta mass irregular migration.
In a statement to state media on Thursday, Bourita warned that the situation in Ceuta is not the real reason behind the crisis between Morocco and Spain.
Spain is using the Ceuta crisis to avoid the real debate behind the rift, the foreign minister argued in a statement to state media.
In the last few weeks, irregular migration to the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla caused frustration among the Spanish government, media, and politicians.
Several Spanish news outlets, including El Pais, launched a campaign against Morocco, accusing it of lack of efforts and laxity in managing irregular migration.
Bourita responded to the criticism using both arguments and figures to explain that the mass irregular migration in Ceuta shows that most of the work related to migratory management is done by Morocco.
He said that the efforts made by Morocco in the fight against irregular migration “are well known.”
“What happened in the occupied city of Ceuta comes as a reminder of the cost that the kingdom assumes to preserve the good neighborliness.”
He said Morocco does not need to be “graded by Spain nor its media,” emphasizing that the North African country has aborted over 13,000 irregular migration attempts since 2017.
Security operations also dismantled 4,163 trafficking networks and recorded 48 assault attempts in Ceuta.
Bourita stressed that there are figures that deserve recognition, recalling that Europe does not even give 20% of the cost that Morocco assumes in the fight against irregular migration.
“The events in the past few days have shown that 99% of the efforts in the fight are being made by Morocco against ‘nothing on the other side,’” he argued.
Bourita has repeatedly called on the European Union to show shared responsibility to tackle migration issues.
The latest similar remark was when Bourita gave his first interview regarding the Spain-Morocco tension to the EFE.
In the interview, Bourita reiterated Morocco’s position regarding migration challenges, saying that Rabat refuses to serve as a “policeman” of the EU on migratory issues.
“We must be partners in the vision, in the formulation of strategies, not only in their implementation in exchange for a sum of money,” he told EFE.
Bourita repeated the same remarks in his interview with MAP, saying Morocco is not the “gendarme.” The official emphasized that the country remains committed to continuing to work with partners to tackle migration issues on the basis of shared responsibility.
The official also criticized Spain for its reluctance to assume responsibility and acknowledge wrongness after its decision to receive Polisario leader Brahim Ghali for hospitalization.
“Good neighborliness and partnership are not slogans. We must embody them. Unfortunately, what Morocco has received since April 17 is not proof of good neighborliness. Today’s Morocco does not accept that kind of double language anymore,” he said.
He said Spain’s attitude is making “Europe pay the price for its clumsiness and must explain to Europe how an EU member country receives people with fake identities into European territory.”
Ghali entered Spain illegally under the name of Mohamed Ben Batouch to avoid prosecution as he is facing several charges, including genocide, torture, and forced kidnapping.
