Migration & Borders
Moroccan media reject Spanish Ceuta police report
Moroccan media have criticised a Spanish police report that accused Morocco's security forces of failures during the mass migrant influx into Spain's North African territory of Ceuta.
More than 70,000 migrants entered Ceuta from Morocco on July 30 and 31 in an unprecedented surge that left scores dead and triggered European Union infighting over migration.
The Spanish police report said the Moroccan police response showed “total permissiveness” and facilitated the rush. It said Moroccan police numbers around the border post were clearly smaller than usual, officers made no serious attempt to stem the surge and some directed migrants towards the water.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has avoided blaming Morocco, saying there was no solid proof that the North African country orchestrated the migrant rush.
Moroccan authorities have not commented on the leaked police report. Moroccan news site Hespress on Friday called it weak, saying it lacked material evidence and contained contradictions. Hespress said the report sought to make Morocco a scapegoat in Spanish political and judicial disputes.
Moroccan news site Le Desk on Thursday described the report as botched and pointed to what it said were factual errors, including a reference to June 30 instead of July 30.
TelQuel said claims by some media that the report directly accused Morocco of planning and executing the influx were false, adding that the allegations did not name any Moroccan official as responsible.
Medias24 challenged the report's “permissiveness” claim, saying it was based only on one satellite image that was a snapshot.
Last month, a senior Moroccan official told AFP on condition of anonymity that there had been no Moroccan security failures during the influx. Morocco's interior ministry has blamed the surge on the “malicious exploitation” of social media and the spread of misleading information.
The crisis has strained relations between Spain and Morocco, including over Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's other North African territory. Thousands of migrants have remained in Ceuta, while most of those who crossed have returned to Morocco.
Update
Several Moroccan media outlets criticised the Spanish police report's allegations about Moroccan security forces during the Ceuta migrant influx.
Hespress called the report weak and accused it of lacking material evidence and containing contradictions.
Le Desk described the report as botched and pointed to what it said were factual errors.
TelQuel said claims that the report directly accused Morocco of planning and executing the influx were false.
Medias24 challenged the report's permissiveness claim.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 September 2026 at 15:39:58 UTC.
Update
US President Donald Trump renewed criticism of Spain over the Ceuta migrant rush in an interview with GB News.
Trump said migrants entering Spain would continue into the rest of Europe.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 September 2026 at 20:24:54 UTC.
Update
Pedro Sanchez told parliament there was no solid proof Morocco planned or executed the Ceuta migrant rush.
Sanchez condemned Moroccan ministers' comments about Ceuta and Melilla as unacceptable and said Spain summoned Morocco's ambassador on August 21.
Sanchez said Spain's government had urged King Felipe VI to visit Ceuta and Melilla in the coming weeks.
The item adds details on protests across Spain over the government's handling of the crisis.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 September 2026 at 09:30:14 UTC.
Update
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said there was no “solid proof” Morocco planned the Ceuta migrant rush.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 September 2026 at 07:55:12 UTC.
Update
The July 30-31 migrant rush left scores dead, most by drowning as they tried to swim around a breakwater.
The Spanish police report cited satellite images showing no police or military deployment at the beach, breakwater or nearby roads and roundabouts on July 30.
The report mentioned non-uniformed individuals described as directing or monitoring the movement of people toward the breakwater.
A Moroccan source close to the case denied any relaxation at the land border crossing, and Morocco's interior ministry blamed social media exploitation and misleading information.
Spain's interior ministry said police communications did not establish the involvement of any government, service, agency or person.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 19:52:44 UTC.
Update
The Spanish police report said the Moroccan police deployment around the border was “clearly smaller than usual.”
The report cited migrants who spoke of a “passive attitude” by Moroccan officers as tens of thousands crossed into Ceuta.
The report described Moroccan security forces as showing “total permissiveness.”],
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 18:54:08 UTC.
Update
A Spanish report flags Moroccan police “permissiveness” in the Ceuta migrant rush.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 18:44:11 UTC.
Update
Spain's interior ministry denied the existence of a police report attributing the Ceuta migrant surge to Moroccan security forces.
Police chief Francisco Pardo told Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska that no police report attributed the planning or execution of the Ceuta events to Moroccan security forces.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 15:01:02 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The Spanish police report's allegations about Moroccan security conduct are disputed.
Moroccan authorities have not issued an official comment on the leaked police report.
The supplied material does not establish who organised, if anyone organised, the migrant influx.
Source
AFP news report published on .