Rejection of Allegations Against Morocco
Félix Bolaños, Spain's Minister of the Presidency, Justice, and Parliamentary Relations, has firmly stated that there is no evidence to suggest that Morocco has directed or encouraged the massive influx of migrants across the border. This declaration comes in response to accusations from opposition parties in Spain, which Bolaños dismissed as lacking any substantiation. During his testimony before the Joint Commission on National Security in the Spanish Parliament, he accused certain opposition lawmakers of disseminating 'false information' and harboring unfounded 'suspicions,' while also insulting a country with which Spain must maintain cooperative and amicable relations.
Bolaños urged government opponents to undergo an 'intensive course on the fundamentals of diplomacy,' emphasizing that their baseless claims against Morocco only serve to undermine the critical cooperation needed to manage irregular migration. He noted that the Spanish government did not possess any prior accurate information that would have allowed for the anticipation of such a significant surge in migration, particularly following the arrival of approximately 70,000 individuals to Ceuta at the end of July. 'The Spanish government had no prior or precise information regarding the scale of the influx of 70,000 people, and that is the truth,' he asserted, highlighting that national security reports had long warned of potential migration crises in Ceuta and Melilla, but did not predict an influx of this magnitude.
Commitment to Cooperation and Legal Protections
Bolaños refrained from labeling the recent events as an 'invasion' and defended the Spanish state's response during the crisis, stating that the central government's presence in Ceuta is currently the most robust it has been in decades. Regarding the situation of minors, he revealed that Morocco had communicated its willingness to cooperate with Spain on repatriation procedures and family reunification, both publicly and through diplomatic channels. However, he acknowledged the complexity of these operations, which are subject to legal guarantees aimed at protecting children's rights. The minister explained that the Spanish government's priorities include expediting repatriation and family reunification processes while also addressing asylum requests, all while ensuring the rights of those involved and thoroughly examining their legal status.
Furthermore, Bolaños defended Spain's collaboration with the countries of origin and transit for migrants, primarily Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, and Algeria. He argued that these partnerships have enabled Madrid to achieve better results in managing irregular immigration compared to other European nations with external borders. He also cautioned against the risk of the Ceuta crisis becoming a 'laboratory' for racist and xenophobic rhetoric, contending that exploiting fear and hatred does not provide any practical solutions to the situation.
As reported by mobile.telquel.ma.
