Morocco minimizes the Eurochamber's warning over Ceuta and boasts of having stopped the toughest amendments

Morocco has responded this Friday to the European Parliament's resolution on the Ceuta crisis by downplaying its scope and celebrating that the toughest initiatives against the Alawite kingdom were left out of the final document. Rabat considers that the approved text does not include "any incrimination" against its authorities and opts to keep dialogue open with the European Union.

The person in charge of conveying this position has been the Ambassador of Morocco to the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Ahmed Reda Chami. In statements to the official Moroccan agency 'MAP', the diplomat defended that the document "does not contain any incrimination or any instruction addressed to Morocco".

Chami also highlighted that "numerous hostile amendments" were rejected during the vote. According to his version, these proposals were left out thanks to the "responsible, constructive and serene" behavior of the majority of MEPs. The ambassador also accused certain "communication and propaganda campaigns" of attributing to the resolution positions that were ultimately not approved.

Rabat's reading is based on a relevant clarification. The European Parliament condemns the instrumentalization of irregular immigration as a "hybrid warfare tool against the territorial integrity of a Member State", although it avoids expressly holding the Moroccan government responsible for the massive entry recorded between July 29 and 31.

This absence allows Morocco to maintain that it has avoided a direct condemnation. The document, however, does address several specific demands to its authorities. It demands that they comply with their commitments regarding border management, identification and readmission and that they intensify with Spain the return of people who entered irregularly and have no right to remain in community territory.

The European Parliament also conditions preferential access to the community market and European funding on effective cooperation from neighboring countries. To this it adds an express defense of Ceuta and Melilla as Spanish and European cities "whose sovereignty and territorial integrity are beyond doubt".

The resolution, political in nature and without binding legal effects, passed with 339 votes in favor, 225 against, and 16 abstentions. It also questions the actions of the Spanish Government, considering that its extraordinary regularization policy could act as a "pull factor," and calls for a full application of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum.

Maneuvers near the border

Morocco's diplomatic response has coincided with a display of its security forces in the vicinity of Ceuta. According to images disseminated by Moroccan media, several units have carried out a drill next to the El Tarajal fence and the Bab Sebta border crossing.

Dozens of agents equipped with anti-riot gear participated in the exercise. The units rehearsed shield formations, coordinated advances, and maneuvers to contain the arrival of large groups. During the deployment, transit through the border crossing was temporarily interrupted.

The maneuvers come amid messages circulated on social media about possible new entry attempts. So far, there is no record of a concentration of migrants near the perimeter, nor has another assault on the border been confirmed.

While demonstrating its intervention capacity on the ground, Rabat insists on maintaining a stable relationship with Brussels. Ahmed Reda Chami has called for an "open, frank, and serene" dialogue and has argued that migration management requires "daily operational commitment, constant dialogue, and the search for common and lasting solutions."