Morocco Blames Spanish Judge for Ceuta Migration Crisis
A Moroccan government source claims that a Spanish court ruling in July did not stop smugglers but instead granted immunity to illegal entries and triggered a humanitarian crisis in Ceuta.
A Moroccan government source claims that a Spanish court ruling in July did not stop smugglers but instead granted immunity to illegal entries and triggered a humanitarian crisis in Ceuta.
A Moroccan government source on Monday in Rabat sharply rejected any responsibility for the escalation of the migration crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, shifting the blame directly onto a Spanish court ruling. "A Spanish judge cannot dismantle the framework for combating illegal immigration and then ask Morocco to bear the consequences," the source told the Moroccan portal Hespress English.
The controversy dates back to July 8, 2026, when a Spanish judge ruled that the arrival of illegal migrants by sea is protected from automatic return procedures. According to the Moroccan source, this ruling "simply granted immunity to illegal entry by sea" and destroyed a key deterrent. "The migration barrier did not fall under pressure from smugglers but as a result of a Spanish court ruling," the source emphasized.
The source further claims that Spanish authorities were fully aware of the consequences. "It was well known to the Spanish authorities. They could not have been unaware that this weakened the entire framework," he said. When asked whether anyone had warned Morocco to prepare or had foreseen the scale of the crisis, the answer was clear: "No."
Mass attempts to cross the border resulted in a high number of casualties. According to official figures, 72 people died on the Spanish side of the border, while 11 fatalities were recorded on the Moroccan side. However, reports on the total number of deaths vary: the EFE agency reported at least 71 migrants dead while trying to swim to Ceuta, while the radio station Cadena SER reported that Spanish authorities had recovered 74 bodies.
According to estimates from Spanish authorities, around 69,500 people returned to Morocco, significantly higher than the initial estimate of 50,000. The Moroccan source stressed that it is no surprise that smuggling networks exploited the situation: "It is not surprising that smuggling networks took advantage of the opportunity under these circumstances."
The crisis in Ceuta has sparked serious political disputes among EU member states. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for joint action and, in a letter to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, praised the swift management of the crisis but also warned that Europe must do more to strengthen borders. Italy temporarily suspended the Schengen regime with Spain, with support from Finland and Denmark, while Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš called for the temporary suspension of Spain's membership in the Schengen Area, which encompasses more than 450 million people across 29 European countries.
Sánchez rejected the criticism, reminding that Ceuta is not part of the Schengen Area and accusing certain governments of attacking Spain driven by "prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interests." The Moroccan source concluded that the real problem is "the gap between the trigger (the judge's ruling) and the delayed response."
