Spain rejects Morocco’s Ceuta, Melilla claims: ‘Super-Spanish and cannot be touched’

Spanish officials on Wednesday declared that the sovereignty of its North African enclaves, Ceuta and Melilla, with Morocco is not up for negotiation. Spain's Foreign Ministry said Spain's territorial ​integrity "has not been, and ​will never be, discussed ⁠with anyone". This comes in response to a statement by Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi, which raised sovereignty claims over the cities. It was the first prominent public push by Rabat for the enclaves since the massive border crisis in Ceuta in July, during which an estimated 72,000 migrants briefly crossed ⁠into the enclave. Around 96 people died in the border rush.

Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles dismissed Morocco's claims, stating the enclaves are "super-Spanish and cannot be touched".

"Ceuta and Melilla aren't just Spanish; they're super-Spanish and cannot be ​touched," Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles told reporters in Ceuta when asked about Ouahbi's comments. "Any attack on Ceuta and ‌Melilla is an attack on Spain as a whole. It must never happen again," she added, referring to the border crisis.

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Spain has always maintained that Melilla and Ceuta have been integral Spanish territories since the 15th and 17th centuries, predating modern Moroccan boundaries. While Morocco regards Ceuta and Melilla as occupied by Spain, arguing that sovereignty over them should ultimately be transferred to Rabat. Despite differences in rhetoric, the Spanish government has largely praised Moroccan authorities for their cooperation. The official statement from both sides are that human trafficking networks engineered the crisis by weaponising social media to spread fake news.

Separately, Morocco's Interior Ministry said in a statement that it had increased security in response to an online call for another mass crossing attempt on August 15. It warned that it would prosecute organisers ​and participants. Wednesday, "The ⁠ministry calls on everyone to remain vigilant and responsible and not to be drawn into such suspicious and misleading calls, given the risks they may pose to people's lives."