American Marconi Wireless News - Spanish PM denies being blackmailed by Morocco

Since over 70,000 migrants streamed into the Spanish enclave from Morocco at the end of July, Sanchez has maintained he has no "solid proof" that Rabat planned the rush -- something that has not convinced opposition parties or public opinion.

Allegations picked up by the right-wing Popular Party and its leader Alberto Nuñez Feijoo have suggested that Sanchez is reluctant to confront Morocco over the surge because Rabat may be blackmailing him with information obtained by hacking one of his phones.

"Relations between countries, and particularly with neighbours, must be based on respect and on facts, not on wild speculation or contempt," Sanchez said on Monday evening.

"These false reports circulating about the mobile phone or other matters -— well, perhaps for a Netflix series they're great, but reality must be built on facts and not on false news," he said.

"I have never said that we would not respond firmly to Morocco if it is proven that Morocco...is behind what happened on July 30 and 31," he said.

"But as of today... there is no information that solidly establishes Morocco's responsibility for the wave we faced on July 31."

The majority of the migrants who entered Ceuta on July 30 and 31 returned to Morocco within hours of their arrival.

Several thousand, however, have remained in Ceuta, where the situation has since deteriorated, leading to episodes of violence and almost daily demonstrations by the local population.

The government has had to identify the thousands of migrants who have remained for weeks to determine if they are entitled to asylum, while unaccompanied children cannot be summarily deported.

A.Malone--AMWN