Spain's FM accuses Italy of exploiting Ceuta migration crisis for electoral gain

Madrid — Spain's Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares made a historic visit to the exclave of Ceuta on Tuesday, the site of a recent migration crisis, where he rebuked Italy's reaction to the July events and praised Morocco as a key ally.

Border Dispute with Italy

Spain announced last week that it had imposed border checks with Italy as a countermeasure after Rome declared it would implement similar controls on flights from Spain. The Italian decision followed an influx of thousands of migrants from Morocco into the Spanish exclave in North Africa.

"Italy has not shown the same spirit of solidarity and support towards Spain as the vast majority of EU countries," Albares told reporters during his visit to Ceuta, where he met with local authorities and became the first Spanish foreign minister to visit the territory.

Albares argued that Rome's reaction to the crisis was due "to partisan interests" and to "cover up internal electoral needs within the Italian government."

The July Crisis

The diplomatic spat occurred after more than 72,000 people stormed the city of Ceuta over a 48-hour period in late July. The influx prompted Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government to deploy the army and close the border in Spain's other overseas territory, Melilla. Sánchez called the influx a "violation of Spain's national sovereignty."

Italy used the events to rebuke Spain's socialist prime minister for his pro-migration policies, including the decision to legalise the migration status of around one million undocumented migrants.

Praise for Morocco

Albares instead praised Moroccan authorities for their "constant collaboration" in handling the crisis.

"From the very outset, Morocco's position has been that the return should take place immediately," the socialist minister said.

Disputed Numbers of Remaining Migrants

The central government in Madrid claims that around 2,000–2,500 migrants remain in Ceuta. However, national police and civil guard agents have dismissed these estimates. The Mayor of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, put the figure at 8,000–11,000 people still wandering around the city of roughly 84,000 inhabitants.

Contrasting Views on Morocco's Role

Albares' praise of Rabat contrasts with remarks made by Spanish experts and lawmakers across the political spectrum. They accuse Morocco of intentionally failing to prevent the movement of thousands of people across a heavily militarised border, allegedly to exert political pressure on Madrid.