Speaking to reporters during Spain’s National-Day reception, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez acknowledged that Moroccan warships did enter Spanish territorial waters off Ceuta on 30 July, the first day of the mass migrant influx that overwhelmed local security forces. “It was a tense episode,” Sánchez said, adding that the Spanish Navy dispatched the offshore patrol vessel BAM Rayo to monitor the situation. The admission lends weight to opposition claims that the incident reflects a broader deterioration in bilateral security cooperation following Morocco’s decision to unilaterally resume control over parts of the shared maritime domain. Defence analysts note that the incursion occurred hours before Italy imposed border checks on travellers arriving from Spain, citing terrorism risks linked to the Ceuta crisis. From a mobility standpoint, the episode underscores why Schengen internal-border controls between Spain and Italy—and enhanced police checks on ferries to Morocco—remain in force. Businesses with intra-EU commuter flows should prepare for possible document inspections on flights and ferries for at least the next fortnight, until Order INT/1033/2026 expires on 16 October. Diplomats from both countries are scheduled to meet in Rabat later this week; any failure to de-escalate could trigger further travel restrictions or delays at Spanish ports that service Tangier and Casablanca, routes heavily used by multinational auto-parts suppliers.
Source: El País
