The reaction within Europe was striking. Instead of showing solidarity with an EU country under pressure at the EU's external border, Italian Prime Minister Meloni blamed Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez for his migration policy. She also called for Spain’s suspension from the Schengen area. Madrid responded by calling this "biased demagogy."
Finland and other EU countries supported the Italian proposal to suspend Spain’s Schengen status. Meanwhile, France tightened border controls with Spain. Notably, there was little criticism directed at Morocco itself.
No Question Of
According to European Commissioner Magnus Brunner (Migration), there is no question of migrants traveling from the Spanish enclave in North Africa to the European mainland or other EU countries. He noted that special rules for Ceuta exist under the Schengen Agreement. The Commissioner pointed out that Morocco is considered a safe country by the EU, where asylum seekers have little chance of obtaining asylum.
Promotion
Supporting Spain in protecting the EU’s external border is the European Commission’s priority, Brunner added. He said nothing about the concerned statements from individual EU countries.
Schengen
The free movement rules within Schengen apply only to EU citizens, people with a valid residence permit, and travelers who meet the conditions for legal entry. Conversely, young people from African countries entering Ceuta without authorization cannot board ferries or planes to the Spanish mainland without first undergoing a Spanish (!) identity check, making it difficult for them to leave the enclave.
Rabat Silent
The immediate cause of the recent migrant influx remains unclear. Moroccan authorities have yet to issue an official statement. Spanish officials pointed to a recent ruling by the Spanish Supreme Court that ended the automatic return of migrants intercepted during prior attempts to swim to Ceuta.
Deliberate
However, the massive scale of last week’s crossing suggests that Morocco may have deliberately relaxed border controls. The timing is also suspicious. The crisis erupted just ten days after Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez visited Algeria – Morocco’s arch-enemy – and announced a "new phase" in Spanish-Algerian relations.
Spain has managed migration relations with Morocco bilaterally for many decades, increasingly coming under Rabat’s influence. Morocco used migration as a political bargaining tool in 2021, allowing some 6,000 migrants into Ceuta in one day amid a diplomatic break over Western Sahara’s autonomy.
US and Israel
Rabat appears particularly confident at present. Morocco enjoys strong support from both the United States and Israel, with both countries lately growing increasingly hostile toward the left-wing Sánchez government. The White House reacted to the recent crossings by labeling them evidence of the "destructive philosophy" behind "far-left and globalist policies to facilitate mass migration."