Spain’s politicians point finger at Morocco over Ceuta crisis

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described last week’s sudden influx of 50,000 migrants into the exclave of Ceuta in North Africa as an “attack,” but has been careful to accuse people smugglers rather than the Moroccan authorities of orchestrating it. That diplomatic position from Madrid is coming under pressure, however, from Spanish politicians from both the right and left, who argue that Rabat has questions to answer about the cross-border surge, in which 88 people died. From the moment massive numbers of people began to enter the city last Thursday, Spanish Civil Guard forces reported that Moroccan gendarmes who normally assist in securing the border had inexplicably left their posts. That led many to suspect that such a large flow of people could hardly be masterminded without the acquiescence of Morocco, which claims the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla as occupied territories. Diplomatic speculation has also centered on whether Rabat could be flexing its muscles over Spain’s recent rapprochement with Algeria, which supports self-determination in Western Sahara — a territory claimed by Morocco. “Let’s call things by their name: Morocco is using human beings to attack our sovereignty,” said Eduardo Rubiño, lawmaker with the Sánchez-allied, left-wing Más Madrid party. Ceuta Mayor Juan Jesús Vivas from the conservative People’s Party on Monday said the situation could not be characterized as “a migration crisis” because “people have the perception that this, if not orchestrated, was encouraged or permitted” by Moroccan authorities. Vivas conceded that Madrid had to do its utmost to continue working with Rabat, but also told Spanish newspaper El País that “Morocco has shown us that it is not reliable.” Since the outset of the crisis, Spain’s Socialist-led government has prioritized smooth relations with Morocco, which will prove critical to resolving the crisis, rather than pinning the blame on Rabat. A spokesperson for Spain’s foreign ministry insisted “the relationship with Morocco is excellent, and coordination on migration and other issues remains very strong.” While visiting Ceuta on Friday, Sánchez characterized the crisis as “an attack, a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity,” but made no attempt to link Rabat to the operation, which he attributed to “mafias that traffic in human beings.” Instead, he described Morocco as “an ally” and thanked Rabat for its help in repatriating the people who had entered the exclave without authorization. Political liability Moroccan authorities avoided addressing the Ceuta crisis until late on Sunday evening, when Interior Ministry Spokesperson Rachid El Khalfi delivered a statement blaming the sudden influx of migrants on social media posts “which aimed to create the illusion of easy access to the European space without legal consequences.” “The Kingdom of Morocco will continue to be, as it has always been with its partners, a reliable and responsible partner, firmly committed to strengthening international cooperation and coordination in the fight against irregular migration and human trafficking,” El Khalfi said. Spanish opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who heads the center-right People’s Party, this weekend demanded a clarification of “what failed in co-operation with Morocco” and said that Spain had a right to demand that Rabat deliver on its obligations on border security. He said he wished Spain to “have a relationship of good neighborliness, cooperation, and mutual respect with Morocco,” but that “there are things that shouldn’t be done, and if they are, they must be met with a strong response.” Still, the People’s Party has focused its broader political strategy on the Sánchez government’s failure to anticipate the sudden influx of migrants, rather t