Rabat – Spain’s Minister of Inclusion Elma Saiz described Morocco’s cooperation as key in managing the recent migration crisis in Ceuta.
She told El País that Spain would not have been able to turn the situation around without Rabat’s collaboration. She made her remarks when El País asked the minister if Morocco “bears no responsibility” for people leaving the North African country toward the enclave.
The question has brought renewed attention to the rhetoric targeting Morocco during and after the mass migration crossing into Ceuta, amid attempts by parts of the Spanish media and some far-right and PP politicians to portray Morocco as solely responsible for the influx while downplaying Spain’s own responsibility, including criticism over the absence of Spanish police as the crisis unfolded.
Morocco has repeatedly responded to similar criticism by stressing its key role in managing migration and its cooperation with Spain, while emphasizing that such efforts cannot succeed without a joint approach.
Rabat has stressed that Spain must also assume its share of responsibility, arguing that tackling irregular migration is not the responsibility of one country alone but requires coordinated efforts between both sides.
Morocco’s role was also reflected in its response to the mass crossings of July 30 and 31, when Rabat agreed with Madrid on the return of migrants who had entered Ceuta.
Most of those who crossed subsequently returned to Morocco, while Spanish authorities have continued working to identify those who remain in the enclave.
Saiz said during the interview that Spain’s Interior Ministry has so far identified 2,500 minors in Ceuta, while acknowledging that there is still no specific overall figure for the number of migrants remaining in the enclave.
She stressed that authorities must follow an individual legal process before migrants can be returned.
The minister also criticized what she described as attempts to fuel hatred against migrants, accusing PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo of calling for measures that would violate the law protecting minors.
Saiz also pointed to comments by Vox lawmaker José María Figaredo, who she said had spoken about “hunting migrants,” while accusing PP leaders of appearing alongside far-right agitators.
She further argued that the PP’s cooperation with Vox has contributed to a harsher anti-immigration discourse, citing proposals to remove funding from social organizations that assist migrants.
“Spain is addressing a crisis that others have failed to manage. We need to look at irregular arrivals in Italy, which are higher than those in Spain. In addition, Spain has shown solidarity during difficult times in other countries,” the Spanish minister added.