Former Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel García Margallo said Morocco had prior knowledge of a massive migration movement toward Ceuta on Monday.
This assessment suggests that the migration crisis was not a spontaneous event but one facilitated or ignored by Moroccan authorities. Such a claim increases diplomatic tension between Spain and Morocco while placing pressure on the European Union to intervene in the management of the enclave's borders.
Speaking on the program "Al Rojo Vivo" and "El Mirador de Andalucía," Margallo, a member of the European Parliament for the People's Party (PP), analyzed the movement of approximately 60,000 people [1]. He said it is not possible for such a large-scale movement to occur without the awareness of Moroccan services [1].
Margallo said there were more than enough indications that the surge was coming [1]. The former minister used these points to argue that the responsibility for the crisis lies partly with the Moroccan government's management of the migration flow.
Beyond the bilateral tension, Margallo addressed the role of the broader European community. He said the support of the EU to Spain must be unconditional [2]. This call for solidarity emphasizes the view that the pressure on Ceuta is not merely a national Spanish issue, but a European border challenge.
Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the north coast of Africa, has long been a flashpoint for migration. The scale of this specific movement, involving tens of thousands of individuals, represents a significant logistical and security challenge for the region [1].
“"No es posible que ocurriera sin conocimiento de los servicios marroquíes"”
The assertions by Margallo highlight the fragile nature of the migration agreements between Spain and Morocco. By suggesting that Moroccan intelligence was aware of the movement of 60,000 people, Margallo is framing the crisis as a political tool rather than a humanitarian accident. This puts the Spanish government in a difficult position: it must balance the need for Moroccan cooperation in stopping arrivals with the political demand for accountability and stronger EU backing.
