Rabat – Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has defended cooperation with Morocco as necessary to control irregular migration, saying Spain needs Moroccan authorities to help stop large numbers of migrants from reaching the Spanish territories of Ceuta and Melilla.
Speaking in an interview on Spanish public broadcaster RTVE’s program La Revuelta on Thursday, Sánchez said Spain needed Morocco’s cooperation to prevent large-scale arrivals across the border.
“You need cooperation, in this case from Morocco, to stop that massive influx on its side,” Sánchez said, according to RTVE’s report on the interview.
Sánchez also acknowledged that his government could have managed the recent migration crisis in Ceuta better, while defending its response and the investments made to strengthen border facilities and reception centers.
He described the borders of Ceuta and Melilla as among the most difficult to manage because of the significant difference in income between the European and African sides.
Ceuta Crisis
The remarks follow the major migration crisis on July 30 and 31, when tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco into occupied Ceuta.
The crossings overwhelmed local reception facilities and led to a major emergency. According to Spanish authorities, 141 people died during the incident, many of them while attempting to reach the enclave by sea.
In a statement to Spain’s lower house of parliament on September 3, Sánchez said the authorities had faced a difficult choice between allowing people to cross temporarily and using force to stop them, which he argued could have led to even more deaths.
The Spanish government subsequently expanded reception capacity and accelerated the processing of migrants’ cases.
During Thursday’s interview, Sánchez said the government had created 7,000 places for migrants and that more than 12,000 people had returned voluntarily. He added that authorities were processing the remaining cases and that people who did not qualify for international protection would have to return, according to RTVE.
Spain and Morocco cooperate on migration management, border security, trade, and other issues. Morocco’s position along the southern border of the European Union makes cooperation between the two countries important for Spain’s efforts to manage irregular migration.
Sánchez has defended maintaining strong relations with Rabat, arguing that cooperation is necessary to manage migration flows.
