Moroccan authorities are blaming human trafficking networks and social media misinformation for last week's mass migrant surge into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, where 60,000 invaders crossed from Morocco in one of the largest border breaches.
In its first public statement since the crisis, Morocco's Interior Ministry said the influx was not the result of "spontaneous circumstances or circumstantial factors," but rather "malicious exploitation of digital space and the activity of human trafficking networks," according to Spanish broadcaster RTVE.
Moroccan officials said false interpretations of a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling circulated online, convincing many prospective migrants that they would not face immediate deportation if they reached Spain by sea and would obtain citizenship.
“Misinterpretations reinforced among some of those who wished to migrate the conviction that it was possible to avoid immediate return,” the ministry said.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez echoed that explanation following talks with Moroccan officials, saying, “What has emerged from our talks with Moroccan authorities is that trafficking mafias took a self-serving interpretation of a Supreme Court ruling.” He added that the belief migrants arriving by sea could not be deported “spread like wildfire through the networks of human trafficking organizations.”
The ruling came months after Sánchez's government backed a regularization program for undocumented migrants. Applications were accepted between April 16 and June 30, with approximately 1.17 million people applying for legal status. Spanish officials said around 609,000 applicants have received temporary work permits, and roughly 160,000 have secured formal employment. Government data also showed that 81 percent of applicants were under the age of 45, and 57 percent were men, reports the New York Post.
Morocco had implemented a "proactive and comprehensive approach" in response to the border crisis and described itself as a "reliable and responsible partner" in combating illegal migration and human trafficking.
Vox leader Santiago Abascal described the breach as an "invasion and an act of war promoted by Morocco and allowed by Sánchez, who is incapable of responding because he is subservient to Morocco," while calling for deportations, the permanent militarization of the border, and closure of the crossing.
Miguel Tellado, secretary general of Spain's People's Party, also criticized the government's immigration policies. “No one can be surprised that thousands of people want to enter a country that regularizes more than a million irregular immigrants overnight,” Tellado wrote.
Most of the migrants who entered Ceuta have since left the enclave, reports The Guardian.
In its first public statement since the crisis, Morocco's Interior Ministry said the influx was not the result of "spontaneous circumstances or circumstantial factors," but rather "malicious exploitation of digital space and the activity of human trafficking networks," according to Spanish broadcaster RTVE.
Moroccan officials said false interpretations of a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling circulated online, convincing many prospective migrants that they would not face immediate deportation if they reached Spain by sea and would obtain citizenship.
“Misinterpretations reinforced among some of those who wished to migrate the conviction that it was possible to avoid immediate return,” the ministry said.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez echoed that explanation following talks with Moroccan officials, saying, “What has emerged from our talks with Moroccan authorities is that trafficking mafias took a self-serving interpretation of a Supreme Court ruling.” He added that the belief migrants arriving by sea could not be deported “spread like wildfire through the networks of human trafficking organizations.”
The ruling came months after Sánchez's government backed a regularization program for undocumented migrants. Applications were accepted between April 16 and June 30, with approximately 1.17 million people applying for legal status. Spanish officials said around 609,000 applicants have received temporary work permits, and roughly 160,000 have secured formal employment. Government data also showed that 81 percent of applicants were under the age of 45, and 57 percent were men, reports the New York Post.
Morocco had implemented a "proactive and comprehensive approach" in response to the border crisis and described itself as a "reliable and responsible partner" in combating illegal migration and human trafficking.
Vox leader Santiago Abascal described the breach as an "invasion and an act of war promoted by Morocco and allowed by Sánchez, who is incapable of responding because he is subservient to Morocco," while calling for deportations, the permanent militarization of the border, and closure of the crossing.
Miguel Tellado, secretary general of Spain's People's Party, also criticized the government's immigration policies. “No one can be surprised that thousands of people want to enter a country that regularizes more than a million irregular immigrants overnight,” Tellado wrote.
Most of the migrants who entered Ceuta have since left the enclave, reports The Guardian.
