Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has rejected claims that Morocco deliberately allowed or coordinated the mass arrival of migrants into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta in late July.
Speaking in parliament on Thursday, Sanchez said the Spanish government had not received credible evidence from domestic or international institutions showing that Moroccan authorities had planned the border surge as an attempt to overwhelm Spanish controls.
He was responding to a police report that emerged earlier this week and suggested the movement of tens of thousands of people toward Ceuta may have been deliberately facilitated from the Moroccan side.
Sanchez said Spanish authorities had been unable to establish that Morocco had organized the incident. He added, however, that Moroccan security forces permitted crossings to continue during a period of around 10 hours on July 30.
The Spanish government is still examining whether Moroccan authorities failed to control the situation or were simply unable to contain the unusually large crowd, Sanchez said.
Around 72,000 people entered Ceuta during the late-July surge, according to Spanish authorities. The enclave, which is surrounded by Morocco except for its coastline, has a population of roughly 84,000.
A police report commissioned by a High Court judge last month raised questions about Morocco’s response. According to the report, fewer Moroccan security personnel than usual were initially positioned near the border, while authorities allegedly made limited efforts to disperse people attempting to enter Ceuta.
Morocco has rejected accusations that its security forces deliberately allowed the mass movement. Moroccan officials have instead pointed to confusion surrounding a Spanish court ruling that was interpreted by some people as creating a possible route for arrivals by sea.
A social media campaign also reportedly helped spread information encouraging people to attempt the crossing.
Throughout the crisis, Sanchez has defended cooperation with Morocco, particularly regarding the rapid return of migrants who entered the enclave. Spanish authorities said most of those who crossed were sent back within 48 hours.
Several thousand people remain in Ceuta, however. The Spanish government estimates that around 5,000 migrants are still in the enclave, including approximately 1,200 children.
The crisis has also generated growing political tensions inside Spain. Thousands of demonstrators took part in protests across the country on Wednesday, criticizing the government’s handling of the arrivals and demanding tougher action over migration.
The demonstrations included nationalist and anti-migration slogans, reflecting growing concern over the continuing presence of migrants in Ceuta and the broader political dispute over Spain’s migration policy.