In a recent statement, the Moroccan government has firmly denied any involvement of its authorities in the surge of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta that occurred at the end of July. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserted that no evidence exists to substantiate claims of Moroccan complicity in this unprecedented crisis. This announcement marks the first official response from Rabat following the tumultuous events in Ceuta, where over 70,000 migrants crossed the border, either on foot or by swimming, during the last days of July. Tragically, this influx resulted in numerous fatalities and many individuals going missing, with thousands of migrants still remaining in Ceuta, many of whom are sleeping on the streets and beaches.
The Moroccan Foreign Ministry emphasized in a statement disseminated by the official MAP agency that "the Kingdom of Morocco refuses to be a scapegoat for political vendettas in Spain". They expressed their discontent with being seen as a pawn in pre-electoral strategies and firmly rejected any implications of their involvement in the crisis. The surge of migrants has put significant pressure on the local resources in Ceuta, one of the two land borders between Europe and Africa, alongside the Spanish territory of Melilla.
The assertion from Morocco comes in the wake of growing suspicions regarding its potential responsibility for the migrant crisis, particularly following the leakage of a police report that indicated a level of "permissiveness" from Moroccan security forces during this critical situation. Despite these allegations, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has repeatedly stated that he possesses "no evidence" implicating Morocco in the migrant arrivals, a statement that has drawn considerable criticism from several opposition members within Spain.
As reported by lesoir.be.
