The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, insisted this Monday ―in a statement to provide road safety data― that coordination with Morocco is “excellent” and reiterated his confidence in the country amid the migratory crisis in Ceuta. Grande-Marlaska explained that there are weekly meetings with the Police to address migration issues, but assures that, after more than 70,000 people entered the Ceuta territory on July 30 and 31, the possible help of the Moroccan gendarmes was never discussed, as indicated by a police report that has been sent to the National Court.
Grande-Marlaska, who will travel to Ceuta for the third time this Tuesday, insisted that the fact that Morocco has accepted the return of thousands of people (more than 4,000 since last August, he detailed) “without any problem” is proof that cooperation is happening. “To date, there is no element supported by logical fact of any intervention by Morocco, nor by any other State as intellectual author,” he emphasized.
Last Monday, the National Immigration and Borders Center (CENIF), which is part of the General Commissariat of Foreigners and Borders, delivered to Judge María Tardón a report pointing to a coordinated action in Morocco whose purpose was not migratory. It was, the agents say, a “formal cover” to “direct a massive flow of people to Ceuta” and they pointed to the “permissiveness” of the Moroccan Security Forces who, even according to videos and photographs analyzed from social networks, went as far as to “guide” the mass for the massive entry. For the Police, it “is incompatible” that the action had a “spontaneous origin, without internal organization, nor a minimum support of directed organization on the ground,” although it does not directly point to the Rabat government, nor to any other. It does rule out that it could be a “criminal structure,” as it says something like that is not within the reach of those the Police know in the area.
Both Marlaska and the Police director were unaware of this document, as the magistrate had asked the responsible officials for “maximum confidentiality,” something that particularly annoyed the minister, as he said that such information was relevant to be able to make national security decisions. Some consulted Foreigners sources assert that it is not possible that the Interior was completely unaware of these analyses, since every Friday meetings are held between the commanders of that Commissariat and the Secretary of State for Security, Aina Calvo, in which migration issues are addressed.
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The minister said that these meetings were born in 2018, when he took over the ministerial briefcase, amid the migratory crisis at that time affecting the Mediterranean area and the Strait “with entries exceeding 800 migrants daily,” he explained. Since there was nothing similar, Grande-Marlaska decided to hold these weekly meetings in which, initially, he participated and, over the years, the Secretariat of State has taken over. On Fridays in these immigration meetings, according to him, the heads of Foreigners, the Maritime Service of the Civil Guard, and the Directorate General of International Relations and Foreigners participate, but after July 30 and 31, he assured, “no indication was conveyed” about the possibility that the Moroccan gendarmerie had helped the entry into Ceuta.
He insisted that investigations are ongoing and when “certain data” is “available,” the “necessary measures” will be taken. He pointed out that “images and data must be contextualized” and determine “what is the most logical interpretation.”
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