Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has challenged Spain’s approach to migration, declaring that bilateral cooperation has reached its limits just days before King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visit the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, where tens of thousands of migrants crossed from Morocco in July.
- King Mohammed VI of Morocco criticized Spain's current approach to migration, stating that their cooperation has reached its limits.
- He emphasized that while Morocco has curbed irregular migration, the existing bilateral model is inadequate for recurring crises.
- The comments come ahead of King Felipe VI's visit to Ceuta and Melilla, the first by a Spanish monarch since 2007.
- A recent crisis saw over 70,000 migrants crossing from Morocco into Ceuta, leading to large-scale police operations and diplomatic strain.
The Moroccan monarch said on Friday that his country’s efforts to curb irregular migration had produced tangible results, but argued that the existing cooperation model with Spain was no longer sufficient to address recurring crises.
His remarks come as Spanish monarch Felipe VI and Queen Letizia prepare to visit Ceuta on October 13, before travelling to Melilla the following day.
The trip will be the first visit by a Spanish monarch to the two North African enclaves since 2007, amid longstanding tensions over Morocco’s claims to the territories.
More than 70,000 people crossed into Ceuta from Morocco in late July, triggering a major migration crisis. Although most subsequently returned to Morocco, thousands remained in the enclave, putting pressure on reception facilities and fueling political tensions in Spain.
Spanish police have since cleared several informal migrant settlements. According to Africa News, the operation began early Sunday at the El Guano esplanade, where hundreds of migrants had been living in makeshift shelters.
More than 350 police officers were deployed, with migrants taken by bus to reception centres for processing as cleaning crews cleared the site. Some fled to nearby hills to avoid being detained.
Morocco calls for a new migration partnership
In his address to parliament on Friday, Mohammed VI criticised Spanish legal provisions and court decisions that he said were obstructing cooperation, particularly efforts to repatriate unaccompanied minors and people whose asylum claims Morocco considers unfounded.
The king also rejected any suggestion that Morocco’s relationship with Spain could be dictated by pressure or threats, describing the partnership as a sovereign choice.
Morocco has denied accusations that its border controls failed deliberately during the July influx, attributing the crossings to misinformation on social media, human traffickers and the interpretation of a Spanish court ruling.
The dispute comes despite an improvement in relations since Spain backed Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara in 2022. The two countries remain important partners on migration and security, but the latest crisis has tested that relationship.
Mohammed VI said Morocco would propose a new framework centred on shared development, economic competitiveness and regional stability.
Felipe VI’s visit now comes against this backdrop, with the migration crisis and Morocco’s competing sovereignty claims over Ceuta and Melilla adding diplomatic significance to the Spanish monarch’s trip.