Morocco warned Spain ahead of the recent migration crisis in Ceuta that a Spanish Supreme Court ruling could trigger a surge in irregular crossings, a senior Moroccan official said.
In recent days, around 50,000 people, mostly Moroccan nationals, either reached or attempted to reach the city of Ceuta by land or by swimming from the neighboring Moroccan city of Fnideq. The unprecedented influx overwhelmed Ceuta, led to thousands of returns to Morocco, and sparked political debate within the European Union.
Speaking on condition of anonymity to AFP and a small group of media outlets on Monday evening, the senior Moroccan official said Rabat had alerted Madrid that a recent Spanish Supreme Court decision, which ruled that immediate pushbacks would not apply to migrants arriving by sea, could encourage new migration attempts.
"We explained that this ruling would create a problem for us. And it did create a problem," the official said.
According to the Moroccan official, discussions with Spanish authorities began around July 22–23, when conversations about the ruling started circulating on social media.
The official also rejected suggestions that Morocco's security apparatus had failed to prevent the crossings.
"It is simplistic to say Morocco should have simply used force to stop them. That shows a complete misunderstanding of this phenomenon," the official said, arguing that law enforcement could not realistically confront such a large number of people without escalating the situation.
He stressed that managing irregular migration should not fall solely on Morocco, adding that the kingdom spends approximately €500 million ($578 million) annually on migration management.
Despite the tensions, the official maintained that Morocco and Spain had responded to the crisis "as reliable partners" and continued to work "in perfect coordination" on migration issues.
"Today, it is Spain's responsibility to find solutions to the challenges created by this judicial ruling," he added.
For her part, Spanish government spokesperson Elma Saiz acknowledged Morocco's role in responding to the crisis.
"Such an exceptional response in such a short period of time would not have been possible without Morocco's cooperation," she said.
