Pedro Sánchez acknowledged Moroccan naval movements off Ceuta after an investigation disclosed encounters with Spanish vessels during the July migration crisis. Spain deployed a patrol ship and frigates as the episode continued into August. The waters lie within an unresolved sovereignty dispute. Sánchez defended bilateral cooperation; the investigation did not establish coordination between the naval movements and migrant crossings.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez acknowledged Moroccan military vessels off Ceuta, Spain’s North African enclave, when journalists questioned him on 12 October. An El País investigation had disclosed encounters in waters Spain regards as its territory on 30 and 31 July and into early August. Sánchez stressed the importance of bilateral relations and said cooperation between the navies remained fluid.[1], [2]
Spain sent the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria-based patrol vessel Rayo to Ceuta, where it arrived on 3 August. The frigate Santa María then joined from Rota naval base. After developing a fault, it was replaced by Navarra. On 6 August, the two frigates transferred their embarked marine team in Ceuta. Sources familiar with the incidents said they ended after the deployments and high-level defence ministry approaches.[1]
Spain considers approximately 22 kilometres from the coast its territorial sea. Morocco does not recognise Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla or their waters, and the maritime boundary has not been internationally delimited. Sources described a risk of collision between military vessels. The investigation did not establish coordination between the naval movements and migrant crossings on the same dates.[1]
