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Spain's FM accuses Italy of exploiting Ceuta migration crisis for electoral gain
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During a historic visit to the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, Spain's Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares accused Italy of exploiting a recent migration crisis for partisan and electoral purposes. The crisis occurred in late July when over 72,000 people stormed Ceuta, prompting Spain to deploy the army and close its border in Melilla. Italy responded by imposing border checks on flights from Spain and criticizing Prime Minister Sánchez's pro-migration policies. Albares praised Morocco for its 'constant collaboration' in handling the crisis, contrasting with Spanish experts and lawmakers who accuse Morocco of intentionally allowing the migrant surge to pressure Madrid. The Spanish government claims 2,000-2,500 migrants remain in Ceuta, but local officials estimate 8,000-11,000. The visit marked the first time a Spanish foreign minister has visited the territory.
Source report
Madrid — Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares made a historic visit to the exclave of Ceuta on Tuesday, where he criticized Italy’s reaction to a recent migration crisis and praised Morocco as a key ally.
The visit marked the first time a Spanish foreign minister has traveled to the territory, where Albares met with local authorities following a surge of migrants from Morocco into the Spanish North African enclave.
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 came after thousands of migrants fled Morocco into the Spanish exclave.
“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.
The minister 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 erupted 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 described the influx as 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 legalize 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 in the city, which has roughly 84,000 inhabitants.
Contrasting Views on Morocco’s Role
Albares’ praise of Rabat contrasts with remarks from Spanish experts and lawmakers across the political spectrum, who accuse Morocco of intentionally failing to prevent the movement of thousands of people across a heavily militarized border, allegedly to exert political pressure on Madrid.
Source
EuractivWestern
Part of this Story
Migrant Crisis Overwhelms Spanish Enclave Ceuta, Army Deployment Requested