According to Marlaska, Morocco "is not a threat," and migrants arriving in Ceuta will not be able to regularize their situation

The Spanish Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said on Saturday that Morocco is "an absolutely reliable partner" who "poses no threat" to Ceuta or Spain.

He has also stressed that the government is working to ensure that this week's migration crisis does not recur, although he has acknowledged that he cannot guarantee that it will never happen again.

During his appearance in Ceuta, Marlaska highlighted the administrations' response to the massive influx of migrants, which, according to him, was made possible by the deployment of the police and army to reverse the situation "beyond 24 hours".

Morocco, "reliable partner"

The minister has insisted that cooperation with the Moroccan authorities has been "constant" and that both countries have cooperated to prevent further irregular entry, both into Ceuta and Melilla.

Asked whether such a situation could happen again, he said that the Government was working "seriously" to prevent it, but could not rule it out outright. In any case, he stressed that the State had "the necessary tools" to respond quickly to the situation.

CNI did not give prior notice

Grande-Marlaska has denied that the National Intelligence Centre (CNI) had a report warning of the massive influx of migrants on 30 July.

He hasalso held the mafias involved in human trafficking responsible for the crisis and stressed that those who entered Spain illegally "have no chance of regularizing the situation." 

He explained that the rapid return of ten thousand people to Morocco was mainly due to pressure from the security forces, although it was also affected by the closure of shops and other establishments in Ceuta.