Morocco denies involvement in migrant surge into Spain’s Ceuta

Foreign Ministry says ‘no facts’ proving Rabat’s engagement aft 70,000 migrants surged into Spanish enclave successful July.

Morocco’s Foreign Ministry says determination is nary grounds of Rabat’s engagement successful the mass migrant crossing into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta successful July.

More than 70,000 migrants entered Ceuta from adjacent Morocco connected July 30 and 31 successful an unprecedented surge that near scores dormant and sparked European Union infighting implicit migration.

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While astir person ⁠since returned, more than 100 radical died, according to section officials and civilian organisations.

Local authorities accidental thousands – including unaccompanied minors – stay successful the enclave wherever they are surviving successful makeshift camps oregon connected the streets and beaches. Their beingness has fuelled near-daily protests by residents aggravated astatine the Spanish ‌government’s handling of the crisis.

Spain’s absorption parties person since targeted the government’s narration with Morocco and accused Rabat of facilitating oregon orchestrating the crossing.

“Why proceed to level accusations against Morocco erstwhile nary evidence, facts, oregon reports found immoderate engagement connected the portion of Moroccan authorities?” the ministry said successful a connection connected Thursday.

“Why are amerciable migrants ⁠not being returned, adjacent though the Moroccan authorities has ⁠officially committed to readmitting them? Why are unaccompanied minors being kept distant from their families, erstwhile Morocco has urgently requested their return?” it added.

The ministry asserted that Morocco refuses to ⁠be utilized arsenic a “pre-election governmental pawn”, nor does it judge being made the “scapegoat successful governmental score-settling”. Spain volition clasp nationalist elections by mid-2027.

The Moroccan Foreign Ministry highlighted the adjacent security, migration and economical ties betwixt Rabat and Madrid since Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez backed Morocco’s autonomy program for Western Sahara successful 2022.

On Wednesday, Spain declassified intelligence reports that had warned of imaginable “mass entries” by migrants into Ceuta conscionable earlier the incidental occurred.

A declassified subject quality papers from July 30 stated that it is “highly apt that the Moroccan authorities are not actively encouraging the migratory wave, but person truthful acold acted successful a negligent and passive manner”.

Morocco ‌does ‌not recognise Spanish sovereignty implicit Ceuta oregon Melilla, the different autonomous Spanish enclave bordering Morocco.