Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates issued a statement on Thursday rejecting what it called renewed accusations from Spanish political and media circles. The ministry said the Kingdom had chosen to build its relationship with Spain on good neighbourliness, political understanding, economic partnership and security cooperation.
The statement highlighted the Joint Declaration signed on 7 April 2022 after a meeting between King Mohammed VI and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. It described the declaration as establishing mutual respect, trust and continued dialogue as the foundation for a mutually beneficial partnership.
Morocco pointed to tangible results, noting that Spain is its leading economic partner and that Morocco is Spain’s second‑largest trading partner outside the European Union. The two countries have also deepened security cooperation, with joint efforts reportedly saving lives and dismantling terrorist and criminal networks. Migration cooperation, the ministry said, has historically been coordinated and effective.
Addressing events in July, the ministry called for a thorough investigation to establish what happened and to prevent recurrence. It questioned why accusations continue to be levelled against Morocco when “there is no evidence, fact or report establishing the involvement of Moroccan authorities.” It also asked why illegal migrants were not being returned despite Morocco’s commitment to readmit them, and why unaccompanied minors were being kept away from their families despite Morocco’s request for their return. The ministry said answers should come from the relevant Spanish authorities.
Morocco accused some Spanish political and media circles of exploiting the Kingdom for domestic political purposes, describing the rhetoric as unreasonable and populist. The ministry warned that such escalation could undermine relations and that ill‑advised initiatives by legislative and judicial institutions could fuel mistrust and tensions. “The Kingdom of Morocco refuses to be used as a pre‑election political pawn, nor will it accept being the scapegoat in political score‑settling,” the statement read.
The ministry stressed that geographical proximity between Morocco and Spain is a permanent reality and that political leaders have a responsibility to turn that proximity into an advantage for the future. It warned that strategic blindness could instead transform the relationship into a source of recurring tensions and mistrust.
