US President Donald Trump has sharply criticised Spain over the migrant crisis in Ceuta, accusing the country of having “zero control” over its border. His comments came in a post on Truth Social as Spain continued to deal with the aftermath of a major influx of migrants from Morocco.
Trump’s remarks come amid growing diplomatic tensions between Washington and Madrid. Relations have been strained since Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declined to make Spanish military bases available for US operations related to the war in Iran.
In his Truth Social post, Trump described the situation in Spain as deeply troubling and questioned the country’s ability to control its borders. He has previously criticised Spain over the issue, describing the situation as an “outrage” in comments to British broadcaster GB News.
Trump warns of wider consequences
Trump argued that Spain’s approach to migration could have serious consequences for the country and the wider European region. He warned that migrants entering Spain could subsequently travel to other European countries.
The US president said the situation could ultimately damage Spain’s systems and have broader effects across Europe.
Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said there is no “solid proof” that Morocco deliberately organised the migrant influx into Ceuta. According to AFP, Sánchez told parliament that no police, legal or international institution had provided evidence that Morocco planned or carried out the incident.
The comments followed a Spanish police report that raised questions about the actions of Moroccan security forces during the episode. The report, obtained by AFP, described the Moroccan police response as highly permissive and suggested that it may have contributed to the surge.
The report also alleged that fewer Moroccan police officers than usual were present near the border and that authorities made no serious effort to stop the influx.
Morocco, however, has rejected claims that it relaxed security measures at the land border. Its Interior Ministry attributed the sudden movement of people to what it called the malicious use of social media and the spread of misleading information.
The dispute has added to tensions surrounding migration, border security and relations between Spain, Morocco and the United States.