Spain Seeks Police Verification of Report Linking Morocco to Ceuta Migration Crisis

Rabat – Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has asked the country’s National Police to verify a report that allegedly links Moroccan security forces to the unprecedented movement of migrants toward Ceuta at the end of July.

In a letter to National Police Director General Francisco Pardo, Marlaska requested confirmation of the report’s authenticity and asked when Spanish authorities first received the information it reportedly contains.

The request comes after Spanish media reports claimed that a document allegedly submitted by the National Center for Immigration and Borders (CENIF) to Spain’s National Court attributed a role to Moroccan security personnel in the mass arrival of migrants in Ceuta on July 30 and 31.

According to El Español, the document alleges that Moroccan gendarmes and plainclothes officers directed migrants toward the enclave. However, Spanish authorities have yet to publicly establish the authenticity or scope of the report.

Marlaska’s letter reflects the uncertainty surrounding the claims. Rather than treating the allegations as established facts, the minister has asked the National Police to determine whether the report exists, whether its contents are accurate, and when the security services became aware of the information.

He also stressed that, if the report proves authentic, its contents could have broader implications for Spain’s handling of the Ceuta crisis.

Marlaska argued that information related to an event classified as a matter of national security should reach the country’s senior security authorities without delay. He therefore asked Pardo to provide any relevant information currently held by the National Police, as well as any further evidence that may emerge.

Madrid urges caution over Morocco claims

Spain’s Minister for Territorial Policy Ángel Víctor Torres has also adopted a cautious position, rejecting any conclusions about Morocco’s alleged role before the government examines the report itself.

Speaking to RNE, Torres said authorities still do not know whether the document represents an official report, a document prepared by an individual police officer, or who requested it.

He stressed that the government needs to see the report before making any assessment.

Asked whether Madrid would seek explanations from Morocco if the allegations were confirmed, Torres said the question was premature.

“If the report confirms what has been published, logically there would be a responsibility,” he said, while reiterating Spain’s longstanding position on Ceuta and Melilla.

The allegations emerge against the backdrop of the severe migration crisis that struck Ceuta at the end of July, when tens of thousands of migrants attempted to reach the enclave within a short period.

The scale of the episode prompted intense political debate in Spain and renewed scrutiny of Madrid’s migration policies and its coordination with Morocco. The two countries have maintained close security cooperation on migration and border control in recent years.

Meanwhile, Morocco played a key role in containing the migration crisis and preventing further attempts to reach Ceuta. Moroccan authorities deployed security personnel along the northern coast and worked to restore order as large groups of migrants moved toward the enclave. 

Rabat’s security response helped curb the scale of subsequent crossings and prevent the situation from escalating further.

Spanish authorities have repeatedly acknowledged Morocco’s cooperation on migration and border security, including during periods of heightened pressure. 

Now, however, Madrid’s announced verification of allegations that originated from the Morocco-bashing rightwing populist and radical leftist militant circles runs the risk of legitimizing the political instrumentalization of the Ceuta crisis. 

Observers fear this turn of events might disrupt the sustained efforts Rabat and Madrid have made over the past five years to give a renewed impetus to their “essential” and highly strategic relations.