Morocco sends a letter to MEPs to influence the vote on Ceuta

BrusselsThe Moroccan embassy to the European Union sent a letter this Tuesday to several MEPs in which it denies having anything to do with the mass entry of migrants into Ceuta at the end of July. The missive came to light when PNB MEP Oihane Agirregoitia mentioned it during the debate on the crisis in the Spanish enclave at the European Parliament. "I want to echo this email that all of us MEPs received yesterday from the embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco," said the Basque leader, before reading a fragment of it: "Morocco is committed to readmitting all affected persons, including Moroccan citizens, unaccompanied minors, and nationals of third countries."

In the email, subsequently consulted by ARA, Morocco sets out five more points. The country's authorities claim they are working to determine the causes of the incident and find those responsible for the events. In this sense, they point to the role played by "disinformation" on social media and the "manipulation of vulnerable people by human traffickers".

Rabat clings to the Moncloa's version to exempt itself from any responsibility for the mass entry of migrants. "The Spanish government has publicly stated that the information it had did not allow for holding Morocco responsible for these events," the letter explains, which also defends that Morocco has cooperated to "facilitate the return of the vast majority of migrants in an irregular situation".

In fact, the embassy maintains that its country has fulfilled its commitments to Spain and the European Union. As a show of this, it stresses that "Moroccan authorities prevent more than 75,000 attempts to cross the border irregularly every year [...] and dismantle migrant smuggling and human trafficking networks".

The missive also questions the methods used by the security forces. "The management of the sudden arrival of several tens of thousands of people in a very short period of time, many of whom were determined to cross the Mediterranean putting their lives at risk, cannot be addressed through the use of lethal force," it argues. And it adds that, for Morocco, "the use of such force can neither be considered a means nor a solution," in accordance with the rules of engagement applicable to the management of migratory flows.

"What interest would Morocco have in that?"

Finally, with two days left before the European Parliament votes on a resolution regarding the Ceuta crisis, Moroccan authorities cast doubt on whether they had any incentive to provoke it: "What interest would Morocco have in provoking a serious crisis with Spain and the European Union, especially at a time when the EU is Morocco's main partner and relations between Morocco and the EU are undergoing a new process of strengthening and consolidation?", they ask. And they add: "Would Morocco have deliberately provoked a migration crisis on the day of the Kingdom's national celebration, the Throne Day, a highly symbolic occasion on which Morocco celebrates the Kingdom's achievements?"

However, sources from the PP, PSOE, and Comuns state that they have no knowledge of this missive. Diplomatic sources from Morocco have explained to the ACN that the email was sent to some MEPs because they "did not have the list" of all the email addresses of the members of the European Parliament. Nevertheless, they trust that the text will be shared with the colleagues who had not received the letter from the embassy.