Morocco prosecutes 25 people after massive entry of migrants into Ceuta and denies having relaxed border control

The Tetuán Prosecutor's Office has opened proceedings against 25 people for their alleged involvement in various criminal behaviors linked to the massive entry of migrants recorded last Thursday in Ceuta. According to Moroccan media, the investigation focuses, among other aspects, on the organization of irregular crossings to the autonomous city and on the transport of passengers without the corresponding authorization.

According to information published by the 'Hespress' portal, the defendants also face accusations for exceeding the maximum number of passengers allowed in vehicles, remaining irregularly in Morocco after the expiration of their visas, as well as for alleged insults, assaults, and acts of disobedience against security forces. The charges also include intentional damage to public property and facilities.

In parallel, the Moroccan government has rejected the criticisms that arose after the migration crisis and has denied that it acted conditioned by "pressures" or "blackmail" during the day in which tens of thousands of people crossed into Ceuta. Rabat has also expressed its "disappointment" at the statements made by some European leaders, whom it accuses of trying to "instrumentalize" what happened for political and electoral purposes.

Moroccan diplomatic sources have also insisted that the authorities have not lowered border controls. In statements to ‘Europa Press’, they assured that anyone who tries to access Spanish territory irregularly knows that they will be returned and that Morocco will accept their return, a policy that, they maintain, the country has maintained for years.

Morocco claims to have warned Spain

The Government of Morocco stated this Tuesday that it had warned Spain days before the event took place due to the ruling of the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court has established as doctrine that the so-called "hot returns" cannot be applied to migrants intercepted at sea when trying to access Ceuta or Melilla, either by swimming or by boat. The decision, adopted in a ruling issued between June and July 2026, limits the scope of the exceptional border rejection regime provided for in the Immigration Law.

According to the high court, this procedure is only applicable to those who try to enter irregularly overcoming border containment elements, such as the fences of the autonomous cities. Consequently, people intercepted at sea must undergo the ordinary return procedure, which includes guarantees such as legal assistance, an interpreter, and the possibility of requesting international protection before their expulsion is agreed upon.

Under this premise, a source from the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in statements made to various international agencies, has stated that migration management is "a shared responsibility."

"Morocco assumes its responsibilities (...). It is a commitment, not a political discourse or propaganda. (...) Morocco does not act under pressure, blackmail, or quid pro quo (...) If someone thinks that Morocco is going to yield to pressure and blackmail, they do not know the Morocco of Mohammed VI," the Moroccan source conveyed.

Likewise, he has outlined the pillars on which his country's migration policy is based: on the one hand, the deployment of security measures to prevent irregular entries and, on the other, the ability to disincentivize new access attempts. In this latter aspect, he argued that the recent doctrine of the Supreme Court has reduced this effect by complicating return procedures.

"What happened on July 8 is that a Spanish judge deactivated the deterrent element. There was a paradigm shift," he asserted. In turn, he stated that the impact of the judicial decision has been amplified by social networks and by mafias dedicated to human trafficking.