Casablanca – Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez maintains there is no information linking Morocco to the mass arrival of migrants in Ceuta on July 30 and 31.
Speaking to Cadena SER on Monday, Sánchez recalled that Spanish security forces, the National Intelligence Centre and other intelligence services had provided “no information” indicating that Moroccan authorities were involved in the migration crisis.
Spanish intelligence services had no doubts about the absence of Moroccan involvement in the movement of migrants into Ceuta, he further explained.
Sánchez described cooperation between Spain and Morocco on migration as “frankly positive,” pointing to the work carried out by Moroccan authorities after the arrivals.
According to the prime minister, Moroccan authorities quickly strengthened their police presence in the Fnideq area, near Ceuta, in an effort to prevent further entries into the Spanish enclave.
Morocco has previously rejected suggestions that it deliberately facilitated the crossings. Interior Ministry spokesperson Rachid El Khalfi said the events were “neither the result of temporary circumstances nor spontaneous developments,” attributing them instead to several factors, including the exploitation of digital platforms, misleading information, human trafficking networks and misinterpretations of Spanish legal and administrative provisions.
The mass arrivals have also put pressure on Ceuta’s accommodation system, with Spanish authorities working to expand available spaces.
Sánchez said Spain currently has around 3,300 places available to accommodate migrants in Ceuta. He added that an agreement reached last Friday between the central government and the autonomous city would allow that capacity to increase to 6,000 active places “in a very short time.”
The additional capacity is intended to allow authorities to care for migrants who entered Ceuta during the arrivals of July 30 and 31.
Sánchez’s comments come as attention remains focused on cooperation between Spain and Morocco over migration. The Spanish government has repeatedly relied on coordination with Moroccan authorities to control migration routes toward Ceuta and other Spanish territories.
Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi has called for clear procedures between Morocco and Spain for the return of Moroccan minors and the bodies of migrants who died during the crossings, including verified identities and complete case files.
He said Morocco was ready to send buses to Ceuta to bring back Moroccan minors and questioned why the return of minors and the repatriation of the bodies were being treated as separate issues.
