Morocco rejects European Parliament's criticism over Ceuta migration crisis
Morocco's ambassador to the European Union, Ahmed Reda Chami, has stated that the resolution approved by the European Parliament contains no formal accusation against Rabat, despite condemning the mass crossings into Ceuta that took place in late July. Chami told Moroccan media that "innumerable hostile amendments" were rejected due to what he called a "responsible, constructive and calm approach" adopted by the majority of MEPs.
What the European Parliament actually voted
The non-binding resolution, adopted in Estrasburgo on Thursday, passed with 339 votes in favour, 225 against, and 13 abstentions. The text condemned the mass illegal crossings into Ceuta from Morocco — both by land and sea — and denounced what it described as the "instrumentalisation of irregular migration as a tool of hybrid warfare against the territorial integrity" of Spain.
The vote split along familiar lines. The centre-right European People's Party, ultraconservatives, far-right and sovereignist groups, alongside half of the liberal Renew group, backed the text. Social democrats, Greens, the Left and the remaining liberals voted against.
Spain's regularisation policy under fire
The European Parliament also linked the crisis to domestic Spanish policy. The resolution states that the extraordinary regularisation approved by the Spanish government had an "attraction effect" on the massive entry of migrants into Ceuta.
MEPs argued that the large-scale regularisation pursued by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, of the Socialist Party, was "a factor of attraction and sends a wrong signal to potential migrants and human trafficking networks." The Parliament called on the European Commission to assess the cross-border impact of such national regimes on secondary movements and on the functioning of the Espaço Schengen.
According to research gathered from official sources, Spain's regularisation programme, announced in January 2026, received more than one million applications. The Spanish Supreme Court ruled in June 2026 that migrants intercepted at sea could not be summarily deported without due legal process — a decision that trafficking networks reportedly exploited to encourage maritime crossings.
The scale of the July crisis
More than 70,000 people entered Ceuta illegally from Morocco on 30 and 31 July, according to the Spanish government, which described the events as an attack and a violation of Spain's territorial integrity. The surge overwhelmed the enclave, a Spanish territory on the North African coast.
Most of those who entered left voluntarily within hours or days, but approximately 13,000 migrants remained in the city as of this month, according to local authorities. Independent estimates suggest figures between 50,000 and 72,000 people crossed during the brief period.
The new EU Migration and Asylum Pact
The resolution reminded Member States that the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum has been in force since 12 June 2026. The text stressed Spain's responsibility to make full use of this legal and operational framework.
Morocco was included on the EU's list of "safe third countries", allowing Spain to deem asylum applications from migrants arriving via Moroccan territory as inadmissible. Spain passed a new asylum law and reformed its Aliens Law in August 2026 to align with the Pact's provisions.
Morocco's response and the broader debate
Ambassador Chami insisted that migration management requires "daily operational commitment, constant dialogue and the search for common and lasting solutions", adding that "open, frank and calm dialogue remains the preferred way to face common challenges."
He lamented that "communication and propaganda campaigns attempt to attribute to the text provisions or positions that it does not contain." Morocco has denied orchestrating the crisis, attributing the events to disinformation on social media and manipulation by human trafficking networks.
The resolution itself called on Moroccan authorities to fulfil their responsibilities and commitments regarding border management, return of migrants and migratory cooperation.
For Portugal and other Schengen states, the question now is how national policies — such as Spain's regularisation — affect the broader free-movement area. The European Commission has been asked to evaluate whether such measures create pull factors for secondary movements across internal EU borders.
The EU is negotiating a strategic partnership agreement with Morocco, expected by the end of 2026, which includes €500 million in migration funding for the period 2021–2027. The Parliament's resolution made clear that relations with non-EU neighbours must be based on reciprocity, with access to EU markets and funding conditioned on effective cooperation.
