Rabat – A new opinion poll suggests the recent mass migration into Ceuta has dramatically worsened Spanish public perceptions of Morocco, with more than three-quarters of respondents now viewing the North African country as an enemy.
According to an NC Report survey conducted for La Razón, 77% of Spaniards now consider Morocco an enemy, reflecting a sharp deterioration in bilateral perceptions following the migration crisis that saw tens of thousands of people enter the Spanish enclave in a matter of days.
The poll also found that 69.3% of respondents believe Morocco is using its control over migration flows to politically pressure Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Support for that view is strongest among voters of the conservative People’s Party (PP) and Vox, at 93.2% and 94.2%, respectively.
Among supporters of the ruling Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), however, opinions are more divided: 23.5% agree with the claim, while 60% reject it and 16.5% remain undecided.
Public opinion also appears to have shifted on how the events in Ceuta should be characterized. While the Spanish government has avoided describing the mass arrivals as an “invasion,” 70.8% of Spaniards surveyed said they considered the events an invasion. Among PSOE voters, that figure falls to 29.5%, compared with around 91% among PP and Vox supporters.
The survey further indicates that 71.2% of respondents believe migration pressure was used to force Spain to adopt a more favorable position toward Morocco regarding Ceuta and Melilla, a view linked by some political commentators to the diplomatic tensions that followed Spain’s 2021 decision to admit Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali for medical treatment and the subsequent Pegasus spyware controversy.
Ceuta fallout widens divisions in Spain
On security, 62.5% of respondents support reinforcing the military and police presence in Ceuta, while nearly 60% believe Spain’s ministers of the interior, defense, and foreign affairs should resign over their handling of the crisis.
The poll also found that 63.3% of Spaniards believe the Spanish government has been too lenient toward Morocco while taking a tougher stance with its European partners. Even among PSOE voters, nearly one in five shared that assessment.
The findings reflect how the Ceuta migration crisis has reshaped public opinion in Spain, not only hardening attitudes toward Morocco but also exposing divisions within the governing Socialist Party’s own voter base over the government’s response to one of the country’s most significant border crises in recent years.
Last year, a poll highlighted growing public concern in Spain over Morocco, with many respondents identifying the country as a potential military adversary.
According to a study by Spain’s Centre for Sociological Research (CIS), 66.2% of Spaniards believed there was a possibility that Spain could become involved in an armed conflict in the coming years.
Among those who considered such a scenario likely, 42.2% identified Morocco as a potential adversary, second only to Russia. Overall, the findings indicated that nearly one in four Spaniards believed a military conflict with their southern neighbor was a realistic possibility.
