Morocco formally denies involvement in the mass migrant crossing into Ceuta

Rabat rejects the accusation

Morocco’s Foreign Ministry formally denied that Rabat organised or facilitated July’s mass movement of migrants into Ceuta, the Spanish enclave on North Africa’s coast. Reuters and Al Jazeera reported the statement on September 10. The ministry said available facts and official reports did not establish Moroccan involvement and objected to Morocco being used in Spain’s domestic political contest.

More than 70,000 people crossed from Morocco on July 30 and 31, according to the two reports. Most later returned, but local authorities say thousands remain, including unaccompanied minors living in makeshift accommodation or public spaces. Al Jazeera reported that more than 100 people died according to local officials and civil organisations, while the continuing pressure has prompted frequent protests in Ceuta.

The immediate political dispute concerns responsibility. Spanish opposition parties have accused Morocco of facilitating or orchestrating the crossing. Rabat countered that it had committed to readmitting people without a right to remain and asked why returns, including protected procedures for minors, had not moved faster. Spain’s declassified intelligence described Moroccan authorities as probably not actively encouraging the movement but potentially negligent or passive.

Cooperation continues despite mistrust

The denial comes against a relationship combining close operational cooperation with unresolved territorial tension. Morocco does not recognise Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta or Melilla. Madrid, however, has treated both enclaves as non-negotiable Spanish territory. Relations improved after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez endorsed Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara in 2022, expanding cooperation on migration, security, and trade.

The European Commission has avoided endorsing accusations against Rabat. In a September 3 briefing, it said Spanish authorities were investigating and described Morocco as an important strategic partner against migrant smuggling. On September 9, the Commission granted Spain €114.7 million for border surveillance, reception capacity, migrant processing, and lawful returns, while mobilising Frontex, Europol, and the EU asylum agency.

What follows will depend on Spain’s investigation, implementation of individual return procedures, and treatment of unaccompanied children. A factual finding that Moroccan authorities deliberately enabled the crossing would damage a central EU migration partnership. An absence of such evidence would shift attention toward operational failures, disinformation, and Spain’s domestic handling of the humanitarian aftermath. Until the investigation concludes, the denial and the allegations must remain clearly separated.