Spain has issued a firm rejection after Morocco's justice minister asserted historical and geographic claims over the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, calling for a dialogue commission to negotiate their return to Moroccan sovereignty.
Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi argued the two cities represent a historical and geographic right for his country and urged Madrid to open talks. He also demanded Spain repatriate all Moroccan minors currently held in Ceuta.
The Spanish foreign ministry responded on Friday with a categorical dismissal of the territorial pretensions, affirming that Ceuta and Melilla are integral parts of Spanish sovereign territory and of the European Union. The diplomatic exchange comes roughly three weeks after a migration surge in which some 72,000 people entered Ceuta irregularly, straining relations between the two neighbours.