Morocco vehemently denied accusations from Spain on Monday, rejecting claims it had facilitated a large-scale influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Rabat countered that the root of the crisis lies in a Spanish judicial ruling that significantly weakened deterrents against irregular immigration.

A senior Moroccan official highlighted that Spanish authorities should have foreseen the repercussions of a court decision issued on July 8. This ruling placed limitations on the immediate return of migrants arriving in Ceuta by sea to Morocco.

According to officials in Rabat, this judicial shift was swiftly exploited by human smuggling networks, who disseminated information suggesting that migrants would now be protected once they entered Spanish territory. “Europe asks us to prevent crossings, yet on the other side, a red carpet is rolled out when these crossings occur,” the official stated.

Previously, Juan Jesús Vivas, President of the Ceuta enclave, had directly accused Morocco of having “encouraged and permitted” the substantial migratory surge. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, also issued a warning against any manipulation of irregular migration as a means to exert pressure on a European Union member state.

For its part, Morocco firmly maintained that it had neither relaxed border controls nor scaled back its security measures prior to the massive crossings witnessed last Thursday. Rabat affirmed its deployment of nearly 24,000 security personnel along its northern coastline, dedicated to combating illegal immigration.

Moroccan authorities reported preventing 79,000 attempted crossings in 2024, and an additional 74,000 since the beginning of 2026. They emphasized that cooperation with Spain on migration control had been deemed “exemplary” right up until the contentious judicial decision in July.

Ultimately, Rabat urged Madrid to reinstate an effective deterrence mechanism, reiterating Morocco’s position that it “will never be complicit in a solely security-focused approach to migration.”