Agadir – Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez today rejected claims that Morocco planned and carried out the mass entry of migrants into Ceuta in late July, while acknowledging that Moroccan security forces allowed migrants to cross the border during a critical 10-hour period.
Speaking before Spain’s Congress of Deputies, Sánchez said there was no solid evidence showing that Morocco had organized or executed the massive crossing, despite a recently surfaced National Police report suggesting that Moroccan security forces may have facilitated the movement of more than 70,000 people into the enclave.
The report, submitted to Spain’s National Court and reported by Spanish media, has raised questions over the Spanish government’s previous position that there was no evidence linking Moroccan authorities to the events.
The prime minister stated that before the mass crossing, Moroccan authorities reported some limited incidents. During the most critical period, he believes that Moroccan security allowed people to cross into Ceuta. Afterward, however, he said Moroccan forces regained control of the border, arresting hundreds of people, preventing thousands of additional crossings, and facilitating the return of migrants to Morocco.
Sánchez maintained that the scale of the subsequent returns would have been impossible without cooperation from Moroccan authorities.
He explained that the incident requires further investigation rather than jumping to allegations. Sánchez said that many social media platforms used measures, such as the policy that people arriving in Spain by sea would not be returned, to facilitate and encourage migration into Ceuta. However, he stressed that none of these platforms or networks were pointing to Morocco’s involvement.
His comments addressed the rising claims after a National Police report reportedly suggested that Moroccan security forces had actively facilitated the movement of migrants toward crossing points.
The report, however, did not establish that the Moroccan government itself ordered or planned the operation. Spanish Interior Ministry officials have also said the document does not establish the involvement of any government, agency, or individual in planning the mass entry.
The controversy has placed Sánchez under increasing political pressure. Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo accused the prime minister of withholding information and questioned his government’s handling of the crisis, while Vox leader Santiago Abascal accused Sánchez of defending Morocco.
Sánchez also revealed that Spain summoned Morocco’s ambassador on August 21 following statements by Moroccan ministers reaffirming Morocco’s position on the sovereignty of Ceuta and Melilla.
Sánchez continued to reject allegations that Morocco orchestrated the crisis, saying no official body, including the European Commission, had provided evidence proving Moroccan involvement in planning the operation.
