Poll: Most Spaniards View Morocco as Threat to Ceuta and Melilla Sovereignty

According to this study published on Sunday by El Español, 74% of Spaniards consider Morocco to be a threat to Ceuta and Melilla, whose sovereignty it claims, and because of the transfer of recently acquired military drones to the Al-Aroui base in Nador, only 30 kilometers from Melilla. In this poll, only Podemos voters do not see Morocco as a threat, the same source reports. Regarding Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, only 18% of Spaniards would be willing to recognize it according to the study.

To read: Morocco Bolsters Military with Turkish Drones Near Spanish Enclave

These data are close to those of the last survey conducted in January by SocioMétrica, which pointed out that 73% of Spaniards were in favor of strengthening the protection of Ceuta and Melilla, and 63%, with the exception of PSOE voters, feared a challenge to the Spanish sovereignty of the two autonomous cities.

To read: Spain Resists Recognizing Moroccan Sovereignty Over Western Sahara, Citing Concerns for Ceuta and Melilla

The January survey had been conducted shortly after the statements of the head of the Moroccan government, Saadeddine El Othmani, who assured that Ceuta and Melilla "are Moroccan like the Sahara". The one published on Sunday could have been influenced by certain events such as the reception of Brahim Ghali in a hospital in Logroño in April and the massive influx of migrants into Ceuta in May.