On Tuesday, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares announced Morocco's commitment to return all individuals who entered the city of Ceuta illegally during the mass migration wave experienced in late July. He emphasized that there are no disagreements between Rabat and Madrid regarding the management of this crisis. During his visit to the occupied city of Ceuta and his meeting with its government head, Juan Jesús Vivas, Albares stated, "The last person who entered Spain illegally will return to Morocco," indicating that this commitment forms the core of the collaborative efforts between the two nations at this stage.
According to the Spanish newspaper "El Mundo," the Spanish minister clarified that Morocco's intention from the very beginning was for immediate returns, adding that Rabat "did not ask for any compensation" for its cooperation in the repatriation process of individuals who entered Ceuta. Albares also stressed that cooperation with Morocco has been crucial in containing the crisis, noting that he speaks with his Moroccan counterpart daily, and sometimes multiple times a day, referring to Minister of Foreign Affairs and African Cooperation Nasser Bourita.
In this context, the Spanish Foreign Minister mentioned that this "continuous dialogue" between Rabat and Madrid has been "essential to overcome the acute phase of this crisis," highlighting that Morocco has consistently communicated its willingness to prevent the recurrence of such situations. Albares indirectly denied the existence of a diplomatic crisis between the two countries due to recent events, asserting that "diplomatic channels have been working from the very first moment," and that the level of cooperation built over the years has facilitated the swift return of the majority of individuals who entered Ceuta.
Regarding the reasons behind the mass crossing, the Spanish minister did not place direct responsibility on Morocco for the events but linked them to human trafficking networks, along with what he described as a misinterpretation of the Spanish Supreme Court ruling concerning the repatriation of individuals entering the country illegally. Albares also noted that social media played a new role in the developments of the crisis, emphasizing the need for a "joint reflection" with Morocco to establish mechanisms that prevent the recurrence of such events in the future. He asserted that "no one will remain in Ceuta, nor in Spain, nor in Europe," referring to those who entered during the recent migration wave, coinciding with ongoing coordination between Spanish and Moroccan authorities regarding repatriation operations.
Albares's remarks come approximately two weeks after an unprecedented wave of mass crossings into the occupied Ceuta, which saw tens of thousands of individuals enter from Moroccan territory, before the majority were swiftly returned to Morocco.
As reported by assahifa.com.
