Moroccan Press Condemns Political Storm in Spain
The Moroccan press has reacted with considerable severity to the political turmoil that has erupted in Spain following reports published by the newspaper _El Español_ regarding an alleged document from the National Immigration and Borders Center (CENIF) sent to the Audiencia Nacional. Prominent media outlets in Morocco, including Le360, Alyaoum24, TelQuel, Yabiladi, and Hespress, have unanimously noted that the accusations regarding a supposed involvement of the Moroccan Gendarmerie in the migration crisis in Ceuta (referred to as _Sebta_) are based on a "manipulated and fabricated" narrative intended to serve purely partisan interests in Madrid.
Official Denial Undermines Core Accusations
Moroccan news portals have extensively highlighted the clarifications provided by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior and the Director General of the National Police, Francisco Pardo. According to reports from media outlets such as _TelQuel_, _Yabiladi_, _Alyaoum24_, and _Hespress_, the police leadership categorically denied the existence of any report sent to the Audiencia Nacional that would implicate the security forces of the Kingdom in planning, coordinating, or executing the entry attempts recorded on July 30 and 31. Furthermore, Moroccan press emphasizes various points raised by police leadership. The warning issued on July 29 did not predict an organized mass entry, but rather responded to a routine risk alert that is periodically developed in the border area. This invalidates the theory that Madrid had precise intelligence warnings that it chose to ignore. Portals like _Alyaoum24_ specifically underscore the judicial procedure, reminding readers that the reservation regarding the documentation sent to Judge María Tardón was in accordance with explicit instructions from the judge herself. This explains the absence of prior communication to the political leadership and police chief, thus dismantling the hypothesis that there was a deliberate concealment or retention of information within the Spanish security apparatus. It was only after subsequent authorization from the judge that police leadership was able to review the document and formally confirm that it did not implicate Morocco.
The harshest criticism has come from _Le360_, which, under the headline 'The False Narrative About the Sebta Report That Upended Spanish Politics', analyzes the editorial strategy of conservative media sectors in Spain. The outlet reproaches _El Español_ for having formed its verdict weeks before the judicial documentation became known, citing editorials from the newspaper that, as early as August 3, demanded the resignation of Fernando Grande-Marlaska and called for general elections. From Rabat, there is a denunciation of the "hastiness" of the [Popular Party](https://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20260903/feijoo-culpa-marruecos-invasion-advierte-133903669) (PP), Vox, and Podemos in assuming the veracity of an unverified leak to demand political accountability, the resignation of the Interior Minister, and even to revive hypotheses about espionage via 'Pegasus'. For Moroccan analysts, the manner in which an unverified media accusation immediately became a political weapon underscores the vulnerability of Spanish foreign policy to media agitation campaigns that irresponsibly compromise bilateral relations.
The Moroccan media has positively highlighted the statements made by Spanish Prime Minister [Pedro Sánchez](https://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20260903/sanchez-deja-aclarar-causas-crisis-133902208) on _Cadena SER_, where he supported the loyalty of Moroccan authorities, asserting that no intelligence service collaborating with Spain questions the attitude and cooperation of the neighboring country. Regarding the reactions on the streets of Spain, Moroccan coverage presents a divided perspective.
On one hand, _Le360_ frames the tension in Spanish streets within a critical lens, denouncing that gatherings driven by the PP and other sectors were "divided by affiliations" and politically instrumentalized to attack Sánchez and promote hostile narratives against Morocco and migrants. On the other hand, most brief reports or agency notes from outlets like _Yabiladi_, _Alyaoum24_, or _TelQuel_ focused almost exclusively on the institutional denials from the Police and the Ministry of the Interior, minimizing or omitting the dimension of social protest in Spain. Nevertheless, publications uniformly lament the social and diplomatic impact of such episodes. According to Moroccan press, the dissemination of false news or biased interpretations regarding the Ceuta border ultimately buries the complexity of diplomatic relations and migration management under a language of "invasion" and "betrayal", which fuels tensions, hardens political confrontations in Spain, and fosters hate speech towards migrants and Morocco itself.
As reported by elperiodico.com.
