Ceuta: Morocco commits to accepting all migrants who arrived there

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The European Union is maintaining close contact with Morocco as authorities monitor the migration situation in Ceuta, with Brussels highlighting Rabat’s cooperation with Spain and its role in efforts to contain irregular migration.

Dubravka Šuica, the European commissioner for the Mediterranean, held a telephone conversation over the weekend with Nasser Bourita, Morocco’s minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates. The discussions focused in particular on developments in Ceuta and the joint response being pursued by Morocco and Spain.

In a message published on X on Monday, September 14, Šuica welcomed what she described as the joint efforts by the Moroccan and Spanish authorities to bring the situation under control. She also highlighted Morocco’s commitment to receiving the migrants who had arrived in Ceuta.

The commissioner said the cooperation between Rabat and Madrid was continuing, while stressing the EU’s intention to remain closely engaged with Morocco as developments unfold.

Brussels stresses partnership with Morocco

Šuica’s comments reinforce a broader position repeatedly expressed by European officials since the latest migration crisis emerged around Ceuta. Brussels has placed particular emphasis on cooperation between Morocco and Spain, presenting it as an important component of efforts to manage irregular migration and address the activities of migrant-smuggling networks.

The EU has also pointed to cooperation aimed at facilitating the return of individuals who do not have the legal right to remain, while maintaining coordination with Moroccan authorities on migration management.

For Brussels, the latest developments are therefore being viewed within the framework of an established partnership rather than as an isolated episode. The European Commission has continued to underline the importance of working with Morocco on migration-related challenges in the Mediterranean.

European Commission calls Morocco a strategic partner

The European Commission reiterated this assessment earlier in September. During its daily press briefing in Brussels on Thursday, September 3, Markus Lammert, the spokesperson responsible for internal affairs and migration, described Morocco as an “important strategic partner” for the EU on migration issues.

Lammert specifically referred to cooperation in the fight against migrant smuggling and irregular migration, highlighting Morocco’s role in European efforts to disrupt trafficking networks and reduce unauthorized migration.

His remarks, followed days later by Šuica’s conversation with Bourita, point to sustained diplomatic and operational coordination between the EU, Morocco and Spain at a time when migration remains a sensitive issue along Europe’s southern border.

Continued coordination between Rabat, Madrid and Brussels

The European commissioner has made clear that the EU intends to continue monitoring the situation closely while maintaining cooperation with Morocco. The approach reflects Brussels’ broader reliance on partnerships with countries along the Mediterranean to address migration pressures and combat the networks facilitating irregular movement.

For Morocco, the cooperation with Spain remains central to the immediate management of the situation in Ceuta. For the EU, the episode has once again placed the Kingdom’s contribution to migration management in the spotlight.

The latest exchanges between Šuica and Bourita consequently underscore the growing importance Brussels attaches to coordination with Rabat, particularly as European authorities seek to strengthen cooperation against irregular migration and migrant-smuggling networks.