Albares reaffirms Morocco-Spain customs cooperation amid far-right criticism

Thursday 14 August 2025 - 11:00

Amid growing speculation over the status of border trade between Spain and Morocco, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares clarified that the customs posts at Ceuta and Melilla remain operational and have not been closed permanently.

Speaking from Santander, Albares responded to claims—mainly circulated by Spain’s far-right political groups—that Morocco had unilaterally shut down customs traffic as a form of diplomatic pressure. “There is no definitive closure of customs. What we are seeing is a temporary adjustment, coordinated with Moroccan authorities, to prioritize passenger movement during the ‘Marhaba’ summer operation,” he explained.

The minister emphasized that bilateral cooperation with Morocco continues across all levels, and customs adjustments are part of logistical planning, not political tensions. “A unilateral customs closure is neither planned nor acceptable. Every decision is part of a mutual agreement,” Albares stated.

A message to political forces fueling anti-Morocco narratives

Without naming specific parties, Albares criticized certain right-wing factions for exploiting technical adjustments to stir up public sentiment against Rabat. He reaffirmed that Madrid and Rabat have been deepening their diplomatic partnership since 2022, particularly following Spain’s support for Morocco’s autonomy plan regarding Sahara.

The minister described the current collaboration as unprecedented, encompassing migration control, border security, and trade. He warned against politically motivated attempts to distort facts and harm the strategic alliance.

Grande-Marlaska denounces Vox for inciting anti-immigrant violence

Meanwhile, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska directly accused the far-right party Vox of stoking recent acts of racist violence in Torre Pacheco, Murcia, where migrants—mainly Moroccans—were targeted in retaliatory attacks.

In an interview on Cadena SER, Grande-Marlaska condemned Vox’s narrative of “criminal immigration,” calling it false and inflammatory. He blamed such rhetoric for legitimizing violence and claimed that official statistics show no link between crime rates and immigration.

“This is the result of Vox’s discourse—simplistic, false, and dangerous,” he said, insisting that hate speech has real consequences on the ground.