Key facts
- Moroccan naval vessels entered Spanish waters off Ceuta without permission, according to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
- The incidents occurred after a large migrant crossing into Ceuta in late July.
- Sanchez downplayed the events as isolated and stressed the importance of relations with Morocco.
- A Spanish frigate reportedly intercepted Moroccan warships.
- King Felipe and Queen Letizia are scheduled to visit Ceuta.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday that Moroccan naval vessels entered Spanish waters off the North African enclave of Ceuta without permission following a mass migrant crossing in late July. State broadcaster TVE reported Sanchez's comments, in which he downplayed the incidents as isolated and underscored the importance of relations with Morocco.
At the end of July, over 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta, triggering a humanitarian and diplomatic crisis that remains partially unresolved and has heightened political tensions in Spain ahead of the November 29 election. El Pais newspaper reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources, that at least one frigate and several patrol boats from the Royal Moroccan Navy sailed through Spanish sovereign waters without authorization after the border rush. The newspaper also reported that a Spanish frigate intercepted Moroccan warships to repel them from Spanish waters.