Spain rejects Moroccan sovereignty claims over Ceuta and Melilla following television remarks

Diplomatic exchange over North African enclaves

The Spanish government conveyed its categorical rejection to Morocco on Friday, 21 August 2026, following renewed sovereignty claims over the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. The response was coordinated through Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation after Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi asserted that both territories constitute a historical and geographic right of Morocco. Spanish diplomatic authorities communicated directly through established diplomatic channels that both enclaves are indisputable parts of Spain's sovereign territory. The ministry stressed that Ceuta and Melilla represent international borders of Spain and the European Union, making their territorial integrity protected under European and international law.

Ceuta and Melilla are two Spanish cities on the border of Spain and the EU. They form part of the internationally recognized territorial integrity and sovereignty of Spain and are equally an integral part of the territory of the EU.

Moroccan demands and calls for bilateral dialogue

During an interview broadcast on Moroccan public television channel 2M, Ouahbi argued that the legal status of Ceuta and Melilla remains an open question requiring direct negotiations between Madrid and Rabat. He called for the creation of a formal dialogue mechanism, including a dedicated bilateral dialogue commission, to arrange what he described as their return to the fold of the Moroccan homeland. Ouahbi stated that neither country can maintain silence on the status of the two enclaves, arguing that ongoing debate is essential for both present relations and the future. In the same broadcast, the justice minister urged Spanish authorities to hand over all Moroccan unaccompanied minors currently residing in Ceuta after entering the autonomous city during recent border crossings.

The question of Ceuta and Melilla will remain a topic of dialogue between us and Spain, and we will maintain our historical right and our geographical right.

Spanish territorial defense and ministerial responses

The Spanish foreign ministry declared that Madrid rejects and will continue to reject categorically any alternative approach regarding the status of Ceuta and Melilla. The diplomatic statement followed earlier exchanges between officials from both nations after Moroccan statements claimed the sovereignty of the cities remained pending. In response to those initial claims, Spanish Minister of Defence Margarita Robles publicly dismissed any renegotiation of the cities' legal status, emphasizing that national sovereignty over the territories is non-negotiable. Madrid's official stance was further reinforced on 11 August 2026, when Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares traveled to Ceuta to hold an official meeting with the president of the autonomous city, Juan Jesús Vivas Lara.

Ceuta and Melilla are not Spanish, they are deeply Spanish. Nobody touches Ceuta and Melilla.

Historical territorial claims and border pressures

Morocco has maintained diplomatic claims over Ceuta and Melilla since securing independence in 1956. During his reign, King Hassan II referred to Spanish rule over the enclaves as temporary sovereignty and proposed creating a joint reflection cell to resolve their future, an idea that Spanish authorities did not take up. Historical accounts in the memoirs of former Spanish monarch Juan Carlos I noted that Hassan II viewed the territorial dispute as a matter for future generations to resolve. Tensions over the enclaves escalated following a border crossing on 20 July 2026, when large numbers of migrants entered Ceuta (reported as 72,000 by Europa Press and 80,000 by ABC). The resurgence of Moroccan claims also arrives ahead of Morocco's legislative elections scheduled for 23 September 2026, as governing coalition parties contest political influence.