A senior Republican congressman has accused members of his own party of hypocrisy over their reaction to the Ceuta migrant crisis.
In a post on X, Thomas Massie claimed they supported language appearing to back Morocco’s claim over Ceuta and Melilla just weeks before condemning the migrant crisis in the Spanish enclave.
Starting mostly on Thursday, some 50,000 Moroccans stormed into Spain within 24 hours, causing scenes of chaos and resulting in the death of at least 67 people.
Since the carnage, some conspiracy theorists have accused the US and Israel of encouraging the mass crossing in a bid to ‘punish’ Spain for taking a stance against the Iran war, and for refusing to let its shared military bases in Andalucia be used by the US for attacks on Tehran.
While Massie did not go that far, he suggested a recent vote in Congress signalled support for Morocco’s claim to the Spanish enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta, in turn encouraging the ‘invasion’ of migrants.
Massie, of Kentucky, said fellow Republicans were expressing outrage despite voting for legislation accompanied by a committee report that labelled both Ceuta and Melilla as part of ‘Moroccan territory’.
Massie wrote: ‘Don’t fall for the fake Fox/GOP outrage. Two weeks ago the House passed a bill that greenlighted the transfer of Spanish territory to Morocco.
‘Every Republican except me voted for it, but now THEY are acting shocked at the invasion.’
Massie’s criticism relates not to the wording of the bill itself, but to an accompanying House Appropriations Committee report linked to the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027, which passed the House on July 15.
The report states: ‘The Committee notes that the Spanish-administered cities of Ceuta and Melilla are located in Moroccan territory and remain the subject of Morocco’s longstanding claim.’
It also says the committee supports efforts by the US Secretary of State to encourage diplomatic engagement between Morocco and Spain on the ‘future status’ of Ceuta and Melilla.
While the wording has attracted attention because it reflects Morocco’s long-standing position, committee reports are not legally binding and do not alter international borders nor transfer sovereignty.
The comments come after this week’s unprecedented migrant crisis in Ceuta, when around 50,000 people crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave, prompting Spain to deploy the Army.
Authorities later said more than 48,000 migrants had returned to Morocco, while the death toll has risen to 67.
The crisis has sparked strong reactions in Washington. President Donald Trump described the scenes as ‘terrible’, while Vice President JD Vance said they highlighted the consequences of mass migration.
The US State Department also expressed support for Spain’s sovereignty during the crisis.
Ceuta and Melilla remain under Spanish administration but have long been claimed by Morocco, making them one of the most sensitive issues in relations between the two countries.
