Spain Rebukes Morocco’s Claim on Ceuta and Melilla in Diplomatic Spat

In its diplomatic note, the department of José Manuel Albares "categorically" rejects this claim by Morocco and reiterates that "the borders of Spain, including Ceuta and Melilla, are internationally recognized," according to government sources at El País.

The Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of immigration, Margaritis Schinas, had recently denounced Morocco’s "hybrid strategy" of using immigration as a "weapon," and has repeatedly defended that Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish and European borders. In a letter sent to the European Commission on May 17, the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs lambasted these "hostile statements" against the "Moroccan cities of Ceuta and Melilla."

The Moroccan letter has particularly irritated Madrid, as it violates the mutual commitment of the two countries to "avoid anything that offends the other party, especially on issues touching on their respective sovereignty." These new diplomatic tensions come in a context of negotiations for the reopening of the commercial customs of Melilla, closed by Morocco since August 2018, and the opening of a customs office in Sebta. This point is included in the roadmap agreed by Pedro Sanchez and Mohammed VI during the meeting in April 2022, after the change of position on the Sahara.