US reaffirms Spain’s sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla

The US has reaffirmed its stance on Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla and has distanced itself from a recent congressional report that labelled the cities as “Moroccan territory,” reported the pro-Moroccan Yabiliadi on August 8th.

The report further supported the negotiations over the “future status” of the cities.

On August 6th, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott reaffirmed that “the [US] unequivocally supports Spain’s sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla.”

The Department emphasised that the congressional report does not constitute US law or indicate a policy shift in Washington.

Despite this, Pigott remained critical of Pedro Sánchez‘s government regarding the recent migration crisis in Ceuta, with Spanish authorities reporting around 72,000 arrivals.

He also accused “nefarious actors” of spreading claims that Washington questioned Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla, aiming to “distract from the Spanish government’s shameful refusal to defend its people from the migrant invasion in Ceuta.”

He further criticised the Spanish government by stating: “The invasion of tens of thousands of migrants into Ceuta is a direct consequence of the Spanish government’s refusal to defend their sovereignty, secure their borders, and protect their people.”

Pigott also called on Madrid to “take all necessary actions to remove illegal migrants and regain control over its borders,” asserting that “unrestricted mass migration into Ceuta endangers the Spanish people and threatens the security of Europe.”

The mass crossing in Ceuta initially prompted widespread criticism from EU leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Meloni wrote on X, “The uncontrolled illegal immigration poses a real threat to the security of Europe’s borders.”

In a July 31st X post, Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen wrote that Spain “completely failed to protect the Schengen Area’s external border from infiltration.”

Ceuta is not in the Schengen Area, and is separated from mainland Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar.

Italy temporarily reintroduced border controls on July 31st for travellers arriving from Spain, suspending Schengen free movement between the countries for one month.

On August 7th, Rome reaffirmed its suspension of Schengen free movement with Spain, rejecting Madrid’s demand to lift border controls.

Some EU member states have since backtracked on their positions and commended its management of the situation.

On August 8th, Pigott urged Spain to “take all necessary actions to remove illegal migrants and regain control over its borders.”

“The State Department stands with the Spanish people and all Europeans in defence of their sovereignty and welcomes all efforts to repel the invasion, remove illegal migrants from European territory, and secure Europe’s borders.”

Spain’s government has faced growing criticism from multiple fronts as it attempts to restore security across the country.

Tensions are rising as Madrid faces scrutiny over its ability to protect Europe’s southernmost frontier and maintain control of what is seen as Europe’s final outpost.

Yabiladi, POLITICO, Reuters, X, Maghrebi.org