After Ceuta, Brussels puts Moroccan visas on the line

The crisis in Ceuta could thus go beyond the Moroccan-Spanish border and affect Moroccans wishing to travel to Europe.

On Bladi.net : After Ceuta, Europe Wants to Pay Morocco More to Tighten Border Controls

Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, believes that the European Union must use “all available levers” to strengthen Rabat’s cooperation on migration control and the return of people in an irregular situation.

He notably cites trade policy, European funding and visas, Reuters reports.

No restriction has been decided against Moroccan applicants. But by publicly mentioning visas, the European Commissioner opens up the possibility of using their travel conditions as a means of pressure on Rabat.

Moroccan applicants caught up in the standoff

The European Union already has a mechanism allowing it to adapt its visa policy according to a country’s degree of cooperation in the readmission of its nationals.

A possible procedure could notably make the formalities more burdensome, lengthen processing times or reduce certain advantages. However, nothing of the sort has been announced against Morocco at this stage.

Magnus Brunner believes that Europe becomes vulnerable when control of its borders depends on the “goodwill” of a neighboring country.

Morocco, for its part, rejects accusations that it deliberately allowed migrants to cross. Rabat says it prevented more than 227 000 attempts at irregular departure between 2023 and 2025 and dismantled more than 1 050 networks.

The Moroccan authorities thus recall that their forces have for several years participated in protecting Europe’s external border. The European Commissioner, on the contrary, believes that this dependence must be reduced.

On Bladi.net : After Ceuta, Morocco Refuses to Be Europe’s Policeman

Moroccan visa applicants may therefore become the adjustment variable in a conflict concerning cooperation between governments.