Sánchez denies Morocco role in Ceuta crisis as tensions rise
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has denied Moroccan involvement in the mass crossing of roughly 80,000 migrants into Ceuta in late July, according to Moroccan government-friendly Yabiladi on the 31st of August.
Speaking with Spain’s Cadena SER, he said, “There is no intelligence centre that has any doubt about his participation.”
He also stressed in the interview that the issue would only be resolved “with cooperation” with Morocco, warning that losing Rabat’s trust would worsen the situation in Ceuta.
He added that the bilateral relationship with Morocco on migration is “frankly positive”, noting that Moroccan authorities deployed extensive police forces in the Castillejos area immediately after the crisis began to prevent entry into Ceuta.
The Spanish prime minister said investigations into the unprecedented wave of crossings are still underway, adding that early findings suggest structural inequalities in the border region, along with a social media rumour allegedly spread by smuggling groups.
Addressing the rumour, Sánchez clarified that it inaccurately described a Spanish Supreme Court decision, implying that migrants who swim into Ceuta couldn’t be immediately returned at the border. He said the claim was “false” but acknowledged it was still being used to motivate people to try to cross.
Sánchez acknowledged that Spain’s National Intelligence Centre (CNI) and National Police had received prior reports indicating a rise in irregular migration flows before the crisis. However, he stated they did not foresee the “scale and seriousness” of the events. He also noted that the data matched patterns from previous summers, when attempts to enter Ceuta usually rise.
Several Spanish ministers also spoke out and denied Moroccan involvement in the mass crossings, saying there was no evidence or information indicating Rabat’s participation.
Public discord continues to rise in the North African enclave and in mainland Spain as people demand answers about the cause of the crisis.
Further escalations saw Ceuta residents move from peaceful protest to violence as tensions rise over the influx of migrants and its mismanagement.
On the 27th, A police spokesman in Ceuta told AFP that roughly 70 people attacked a military vehicle with stones and other objects.
Later that day, several dozen locals stopped Red Cross workers from distributing food and water to migrants, shouting “They should leave” and “Out with the Red Cross,” according to France 24 via AFP. EFE confirms that blockades were attempted earlier on the 26th.
Later on the 27th, Spanish TV news channels released videos via EFE showing another clash in the late hours. Local residents set fire to migrant camps at Trampolín beach, a common sleeping spot for migrants. Police pushed protesters back, while migrants moved towards a pier.
As of August 31st, Reuters reports via the Spanish government that approximately 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta.
The Sánchez government continues to face criticism as migration has become a major national political issue, with far-right opposition parties leveraging the crisis and the government’s migration policy for political gain. In recent polling, PSOE is sitting well below its 2023 election result, heightening pressure on the government. The country has also seen growing anti-migrant sentiment, which has fuelled xenophobic hostility. Humanitarian organisations and parts of Spanish civil society have pushed back against portraying migrants collectively as a security threat.
Yabiladi, Cadena SER, Reuters, RTVE, EFE, Politpro, Maghrebi.org
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