Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told reporters on Monday that vessels from Morocco had entered waters under Spanish sovereignty near Ceuta without authorisation, following a large-scale border crossing into the enclave that took place in late July, according to a broadcast news outlet. Characterising the episodes as isolated incidents, Sanchez said the bilateral relationship with Morocco warranted priority attention.
Towards the close of July, roughly 72,000 people crossed the border between Morocco and Ceuta, setting off a humanitarian and diplomatic episode that has yet to be fully resolved and that continues to fuel political friction in Spain ahead of a snap election scheduled for 29 November.
An unnamed-source report carried on Monday by a broadcaster described as credible indicated that vessels from the Royal Moroccan Navy — including at least one frigate alongside a number of patrol boats — moved through waters under Spanish sovereignty in the aftermath of the border incident, having obtained no prior clearance to do so. According to an official statement, a naval vessel was deployed to push back Moroccan warships that had entered waters under Spanish jurisdiction.
Sanchez was quoted by the broadcaster as saying that such episodes between neighbouring countries were not unheard of. The remarks attributed to Sanchez did not directly address the particulars raised in the prior report; he was quoted instead as saying, "We are neighbors." He noted that those days had been demanding, yet naval cooperation between the two countries had continued without disruption, and described the bilateral relationship with Morocco as one he regards with considerable weight.
Those remarks came ahead of a two-day visit by King Felipe and Queen Letizia to Ceuta on Tuesday and Wednesday, a trip that some observers say carries the potential to heighten diplomatic friction between Spain and Morocco. Morocco's position holds that both Ceuta and Melilla, the two Spanish enclaves on the North African coast, fall within its territorial boundaries.
No response to the outlet's request for comment was forthcoming from government representatives. Requests for comment directed at Morocco's foreign ministry went unanswered at the time of publication.
King Mohammed of Morocco communicated to Spain on Friday that the bilateral arrangement governing migration matters had reached the end of its usefulness, citing judicial decisions he characterised as no longer fit for purpose. Those rulings, in his view, stood as obstacles to the transfer of undocumented minors and asylum seekers back to their countries of origin. Data from the crossing period showed that some individuals remained in Ceuta, with a larger share having departed in the weeks after arrival.
