The Partido Popular (PP) has stepped up its criticism of the Spanish government after Morocco announced it was considering suspending the bilateral extradition agreement. The announcement followed remarks by Morocco's justice minister, Abdellatif Uahbi, who repeated Rabat's longstanding claim over Ceuta and Melilla, sharpening tensions between the two countries. PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo said the sovereignty of the two autonomous cities is non-negotiable and must be defended, not debated.
The PP has submitted written parliamentary questions to Justice Minister Félix Bolaños, seeking details of the government's diplomatic response and the legal tools available to return Moroccan nationals who entered Ceuta during the recent mass crossing. The party has also faulted the government for not summoning Morocco's ambassador in Madrid, Karima Benyaich. It compared that response with Madrid's swift diplomatic action against Italy after Rome imposed border controls on Spanish arrivals, arguing that the government had shown too little resolve in defending Spanish interests.
PP officials have sharpened their rhetoric. Jaime De los Santos, the party's deputy secretary for Education and Equality, publicly asked why the government had not acted more firmly after what he called an “invasion” and a direct challenge to the Spanish identity of Ceuta and Melilla. He also demanded detailed answers from Bolaños about coordination with Moroccan authorities and the legal mechanisms used to process returns, particularly cases involving minors.
The party's tougher tone marks a shift from its initial response to the Ceuta crisis, when PP leaders avoided directly blaming Morocco and focused instead on Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's migration policies. More than 72,000 people reportedly crossed into the enclave between 30 and 31 July, during a breakdown in border containment. Reuters reported that Morocco denied tolerating or facilitating the crossings; the agency said Spanish officials had described the episode as a deliberate invasion, an allegation Rabat rejects. Alma Ezcurra, the party's deputy secretary for Sectoral Coordination, suggested the mass arrival was not accidental, implying Moroccan involvement. She also reaffirmed that Ceuta and Melilla's sovereignty is not up for negotiation.
The PP has called for the immediate return of Moroccan nationals, particularly minors, and accused the government of inaction and failing to secure Ceuta. De los Santos cited figures showing 11,000 people still in the city, more than government estimates, and called for urgent measures. The party has also criticized the lack of government accountability in the Senate and demanded written answers to its questions in Congress.
Government figures offer a later snapshot of the return operation. Between 10 August and 19 October, 12,705 people returned to Morocco, information from the government. Inclusion Minister and government spokesperson Elma Saiz reported 12,142 voluntary returns and 536 expulsions; a separate government summary later recorded 563 expulsions. The government also said it had established 7,477 temporary places for migrants in Ceuta. These figures for adults are separate from the child-protection caseload and do not mean that everyone involved in the July crossing went through the same legal process.
Unaccompanied minors remain a central issue. Earlier official estimates put their number in Ceuta at around 4,000; the government reported that 3,331 remained in the city's child-protection system as of 19 October. It said 107 minors had been transferred to mainland Spain through family-reunification procedures. Another 181 had been relocated to other autonomous communities under Article 35 of Spain's Immigration Act. A further 63 cases had been referred to Morocco, but the government said none had been reunited there by that date. Ceuta has ordinary responsibility for unaccompanied minors, while the basic administration handles adult returns to Morocco.
The government says cases involving expulsion or return, as well as applications for international protection, must follow the procedures and safeguards set by Spanish and European law. Those procedures, it said, “require an individual assessment,” and it rejected a general deadline that would override applicable legal time limits. The distinction is basic to the dispute: Spain's readmission arrangements with Morocco govern returns, while the extradition agreement under threat is a separate judicial-cooperation instrument. Spain's Immigration Law also includes a tenth additional provision allowing border rejection in Ceuta and Melilla for people attempting to overcome border barriers. Rights groups have questioned whether such handovers provide adequate access to individual procedures, legal counsel and interpreters.
The diplomatic standoff comes amid wider European concerns over border security. Italy extended border checks for travelers from Spain after the Ceuta migration surge. On 22 October, Madrid and Rome agreed to lift the reciprocal controls, in place for three months, Reuters reported, citing Italy's Interior Ministry. For more on the effects of these measures on Spanish-Italian relations, see the report on recent cross-border policy changes.
Ceuta and Melilla have long been points of contention between Spain and Morocco, and both cities are basic entry points for migrants seeking access to Europe. The bilateral extradition agreement, now under threat, has underpinned judicial cooperation since it took effect. A suspension could complicate security and legal cooperation between the two countries. Meanwhile, the government says migration returns remain subject to individual legal procedures, keeping the issue at the center of the political dispute and adding to opposition pressure on Sánchez.
