Judge asks Spain’s Defence Ministry about Moroccan ships near Ceuta

Judge María Tardón is investigating the mass arrival of migrants in Ceuta on Spain’s North African coast.

She has asked Spain’s Defence Ministry whether Moroccan military ships entered Spanish waters near the city between July 29 and August 10.

The ministry must also say whether Spanish naval units interacted with the ships and provide any recordings.

Tardón is checking whether the reported naval incursion happened and how it unfolded.

She says there is currently no objective evidence linking the ships to the migrant arrivals or showing they helped organize or carry them out.

She rejected a broader set of requests from the group Iustitia Europa as disproportionate.

The ministry’s answers may help determine whether further inquiries are justified; Tardón also asked whether Moroccan ships entered the waters again after August 10.