Morocco Is Spending Millions To Win the Battle against Spain in Washington*
Rabat has declared payments and signed lobbying and public relations contracts worth at least $2.1 million since January 2025. The campaign coincides with the tabling of a proposal regarding Ceuta and Melilla in Congress and the Trump administration’s criticism of the Pedro Sánchez government.
The migration crisis in Ceuta has also been played out more than 6,000 kilometers (more than 3,728 miles) from the Spanish border — in the offices of power in Washington. While tens of thousands of people were entering Spanish territory from Morocco, the Trump administration avoided pointing the finger at Rabat and was quick to lash out at the Sánchez government. This is no coincidence: For years Morocco has been investing millions in lobbying efforts in order to present itself to Republicans as a key ally on immigration, terrorism, Israel and regional security.
The U.S. position was unequivocal and extremely harsh toward the invaded country. The State Department maintained that what had happened was “a direct result of the Spanish Government’s deliberate efforts to enable and facilitate mass illegal migration into Europe.” Donald Trump described the images as “terrible” and used them to warn of what, according to him, would happen in the United States if the Democrats were to return to power. On Tuesday, the Spanish government stated that around 70,000 of the approximately 72,000 people who had crossed the border had already returned to Morocco.
The contrast with Spain is clear. Rather than the network of firms, consultants and multi-million-dollar contracts deployed by Morocco, Madrid has not launched a comparable lobbying campaign nor is there any evidence that it has recently hired lobbyists to defend its stances before Congress and the Trump administration. Its actions have essentially been limited to the embassy’s conventional diplomacy, with a discreet political presence and limited capacity for dialogue. While Rabat has been cultivating contacts and putting forward its arguments in Washington for years, Spain has left that ground virtually uncontested.
Since January 2025, the month in which President Trump returned to power, the Moroccan government and embassy have declared payments and signed contracts relating to government relations and communications in Washington, with a minimum identifiable value of $2 million. According to documentation reviewed by [TV network] ABC, $940,000 related to payments that have actually been declared, while the remaining $1.2 million is the projected value of two contracts.
The Promotion of the Country
The largest verified amount corresponds to Third Circle, a public relations and strategic consultancy firm. Its disclosures to the Department of Justice show three payments from Morocco totaling $100,000 between January and April 2025. In November and December of that year, it reported two further payments, one of $80,000 and the other of $760,000. The total amount actually received since January 2025 thus amounts to $940,000.
The firm states that it has advised the Moroccan authorities on promoting the country to U.S. officials, organizing delegations of state and local authorities, and attracting investment and film productions. In January 2026, it coordinated a visit to Morocco with local U.S. officials. Its services were therefore not limited to the promotion of tourism, but also included the forging of lasting political relationships at various levels of the Trump administration.
*Editor's note: This article is available in its original language with a paid subscription.
The migration crisis in Ceuta has also been played out more than 6,000 kilometers (more than 3,728 miles) from the Spanish border — in the offices of power in Washington. While tens of thousands of people were entering Spanish territory from Morocco, the Trump administration avoided pointing the finger at Rabat and was quick to lash out at the Sánchez government. This is no coincidence: For years Morocco has been investing millions in lobbying efforts in order to present itself to Republicans as a key ally on immigration, terrorism, Israel and regional security.
The U.S. position was unequivocal and extremely harsh toward the invaded country. The State Department maintained that what had happened was “a direct result of the Spanish Government’s deliberate efforts to enable and facilitate mass illegal migration into Europe.” Donald Trump described the images as “terrible” and used them to warn of what, according to him, would happen in the United States if the Democrats were to return to power. On Tuesday, the Spanish government stated that around 70,000 of the approximately 72,000 people who had crossed the border had already returned to Morocco.
The contrast with Spain is clear. Rather than the network of firms, consultants and multi-million-dollar contracts deployed by Morocco, Madrid has not launched a comparable lobbying campaign nor is there any evidence that it has recently hired lobbyists to defend its stances before Congress and the Trump administration. Its actions have essentially been limited to the embassy’s conventional diplomacy, with a discreet political presence and limited capacity for dialogue. While Rabat has been cultivating contacts and putting forward its arguments in Washington for years, Spain has left that ground virtually uncontested.
Since January 2025, the month in which President Trump returned to power, the Moroccan government and embassy have declared payments and signed contracts relating to government relations and communications in Washington, with a minimum identifiable value of $2 million. According to documentation reviewed by [TV network] ABC, $940,000 related to payments that have actually been declared, while the remaining $1.2 million is the projected value of two contracts.
The Promotion of the Country
The largest verified amount corresponds to Third Circle, a public relations and strategic consultancy firm. Its disclosures to the Department of Justice show three payments from Morocco totaling $100,000 between January and April 2025. In November and December of that year, it reported two further payments, one of $80,000 and the other of $760,000. The total amount actually received since January 2025 thus amounts to $940,000.
The firm states that it has advised the Moroccan authorities on promoting the country to U.S. officials, organizing delegations of state and local authorities, and attracting investment and film productions. In January 2026, it coordinated a visit to Morocco with local U.S. officials. Its services were therefore not limited to the promotion of tourism, but also included the forging of lasting political relationships at various levels of the Trump administration.
*Editor's note: This article is available in its original language with a paid subscription.
Previous article![]( "Donald Trump’s ‘Freedom Cities’ Aren’t Working Out")
