Morocco warned Spain about migration risks before Ceuta crisis

In recent days, nearly 60,000 people, mostly Moroccans, arrived or attempted to arrive in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Fnideq. The official, speaking anonymously to AFP and other media, said Moroccan authorities alerted Madrid to the risks posed by a recent Spanish Supreme Court decision. This decision stipulated that immediate repatriation of a migrant would not apply to those arriving by sea.

The official noted, "We explained that this judgment would create a problem for us. And it created a problem." Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had attributed the Ceuta migration crisis to a rumor spread by "human trafficking mafias" misinterpreting the court decision.

The Moroccan official indicated that discussions with Spain began around July 22-23 when networks started discussing the new decision. He maintained there was no failure in Morocco's security measures, stating it was "reductive to say that Morocco should have just used force to stop them." He added that law enforcement could not confront such a large number of people and that managing this phenomenon is not solely Morocco's responsibility, estimating the annual cost of migration management for the kingdom at approximately 500 million euros.

He affirmed that Rabat and Madrid acted as "reliable partners" and continue to work in "perfect coordinatio