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The Spanish government acknowledged that it did not grant any “financial subsidy to any entity in Morocco” in 2021 to curb irregular migration.
The announcement came in the form of a written response to a question from an MP on the depth of Spain’s aid to Morocco to tackle irregular migration.
In its response, the government said it did not grant any financial aid following the mass irregular migration that saw thousands of Moroccans entering the enclave of Ceuta in May 2021.
Pablo Cambronero, a Spanish MP, has been complaining about lack of information regarding the alleged aid Spain gave Morocco to tackle the migration crisis.
Cabronero, according to Europa Press, also complained that the Spanish Ministry did not “respond to the requirements from the Transparency Portal, describing the alleged aid as “unjustified.”
The Ceuta mass migration operation created further tensions between Morocco and Spain just a few weeks after news came out of Spain’s sheltering of Polisario leader Brahim Ghali.
As videos and pictures documented waves of people swimming their way to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, many Spanish politicians lashed out at Morocco for using mass migration to “blackmail” Spain amid bilateral diplomatic tensions.
In response, Morocco’s government emphasized that it is not Europe’s gendarme.
But the Moroccan government also pointed to its efforts to address irregular migration challenges as part of its “shared responsibility”-driven cooperation with the EU.
“Morocco has no obligation to protect the borders of countries other than its own,” Moroccan Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita said in response to criticism against Morocco.
Bourita argued that the EU’s finances to Morocco barely cover less than 20% of the costs that the country invests in migration management.
A partnership “is not a one-way street,” Bourita said, stressing that collaboration should be based on a clear understanding and respect.
