Spanish authorities should have anticipated the consequences of a court ruling that weakened a key deterrent against illegal migration and contributed ​to last week's mass crossings into the enclave of Ceuta in ‌northern Morocco, a senior Moroccan official said on Monday.

Spain estimates that about 69,500 migrants have returned from Ceuta to Morocco since last week's crossing, while Moroccan authorities say about 40,000 people ​entered the enclave.

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The death toll stands at 72 on the Spanish side ​of the border and 11 on the Moroccan side.

Ceuta Regional President ⁠Juan Jesus Vivas accused Rabat of having "encouraged and permitted" the influx, while ​European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned against any attempt to use irregular ​migration to pressure an EU member state.

The local authorities in Ceuta should have anticipated the consequences of a ruling that deactivated illegal migration deterrence, the senior government official told reporters ​in a first briefing since the crisis unfolded.

The Spanish ruling on July 8 ​limited the immediate return of migrants who reach the Spanish enclaves by sea.

Morocco had not ‌relaxed ⁠border controls or reduced security deployments before the mass crossing on Thursday, he said.

Morocco's migration-control approach rests on prevention through the deployment of around 24,000 security personnel along its northern coast and deterrence through rapid readmissions for migrants who enter ​Spanish territory illegally.

The ​July ruling was ⁠quickly used by trafficking networks, he said.

"The message became just cross and you will be protected," he said. "Europe asks us ​to stop migrants from crossing, but on the other side ​they roll ⁠the red carpet when they cross!"

Rabat stopped 79,000 attempted crossings in 2024 and 74,000 last year, according to official figures.

He described Moroccan-Spanish cooperation on border control as "exemplary" ⁠until the ​ruling disrupted years of consistency.

"It is up to ​Spain to find a solution to restore deterrence," he said.

"Morocco will never be complicit in a ​purely security-based approach to migration," he said.