Spanish Minister Affirms Ceuta and Melilla’s Status as Spanish Cities Amid Controversy

Fernando Grande-Marlaska made this statement in response to those of the former socialist minister, María Antonia Trujillo, for whom the Moroccan claim on Ceuta and Melilla "is fully justified". On the issue of freedom of expression being more guaranteed in Morocco than in Spain, according to Trujillo, the Interior Minister observes that the former minister has expressed herself freely and that "Spain is recognized as a fully democratic country".

During this press conference held jointly with his Portuguese counterpart, José Luis Carneiro, on a visit to the country, Grande-Marlaska addressed the current events related to the presence of some 5,000 migrants on Mount Gourougou, near Nador, who would be trying to enter Melilla. "We work day by day and permanently with the Moroccan authorities to prevent and fight against ’violent’ irregular immigration in Spain and dismantle the criminal organizations dedicated to human trafficking," he assured, hailing the good migration cooperation with Morocco.