The migration situation in Ceuta: border management between humanitarian emergency and diplomatic leverage.

Photo by manfredrichter on pixabay.com

According to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior and the regional president, approximately 72,000 people entered Ceuta in less than 24 hours between July 30 and July 31. Ceuta is a Spanish enclave covering 18,000 square kilometers on the Moroccan coast, which has been under Spanish sovereignty since the late 16th century and, together with Melilla, represents the only land border between the European Union and Africa. Thousands of individuals arrived in Ceuta by swimming, utilizing floats and inflatable mattresses, across the approximately five kilometers separating the coast from the Moroccan town of Fnideq, while others entered by breaching the land fence.

Consequently, access control largely depends on developments on the Moroccan side of the border, as Morocco controls almost the entirety of the southern perimeter of Ceuta and Melilla. Over the years, Rabat has become an indispensable partner for Spain and the EU in border management, resulting in a drastic decline in crossings through intensified controls, alongside a marked increase in arrivals whenever these controls are relaxed. Border management thus inevitably serves as a strategic diplomatic and political instrument, serving as a leverage point in negotiations for Morocco. Although there is no public evidence proving that Rabat deliberately opened the border, many analysts consider this a plausible hypothesis, particularly in light of the 8,000 entries over two days in 2021, when Rabat used border relaxation as a form of diplomatic retaliation. In recent weeks, an intense political debate spanning the whole of Europe has emerged around this severe humanitarian crisis and the dire conditions facing thousands of people in Ceuta. 

While Ceuta and Melilla have experienced recurring border crossings in past years, the distinguishing factor in this instance is its scale. Distorted versions of the event have circulated on social media, where far-right and anti-migrant groups have weaponized the story, framing it as an "invasion" to reinforce their own narratives. Although the exact circumstances allowing an influx of such magnitude to occur at a closed and highly securitized border have yet to be established, it is crucial to note that a crossing on such a scale would have been difficult without some reduction in controls on the Moroccan side of the border, given the historically high level of cooperation between Rabat and Spain.

To date, it is estimated that approximately 70,000 people have been returned to Morocco by Spain, while around 1,000 unaccompanied minors remain stranded in Ceuta. The humanitarian situation is critical: reception centers in Ceuta have reached full capacity, forcing many individuals into makeshift accommodations within warehouses or leaving them to sleep on the streets. Although humanitarian aid has been provided by resident associations and charitable organizations, episodes of violence have erupted between local residents and newly arrived individuals. The healthcare system is on the verge of collapse, with aimless individuals wandering the streets, abandoned by a system unable to manage the crisis. An emergency room doctor at the University Hospital of Ceuta described the situation as "overwhelming," explaining that the hospital is receiving waves of patients presenting various medical issues, primarily stemming from drowning, hypothermia, fractures, and dislocations.

While the narratives surrounding this event continue to polarize, the reality remains that the majority of individuals were returned to Morocco within a few days. Furthermore, despite the alarmism, which even led the Italian government to temporarily suspend the Schengen agreement with Spain, not a single person who reached Ceuta during this incident is believed to have reached mainland Spain, let alone other European countries. The individuals who crossed the border and arrived in Ceuta lack access to safe and legal routes to cross borders and seek protection and framing people's irregular movements as a problem caused by "permissive" domestic policies ignores the fundamental underlying drivers of migration.

written by Costanza Luciani