Migration remains Europe's Achilles' heel

Ceuta, a Spanish city with a mixed population of Moroccan roots and Muslim faith, experienced a significant shock with the sudden arrival of tens of thousands of migrants. While daily life in the city shows little division among its residents, the influx caused fear and uncertainty, particularly among those with Moroccan heritage.

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Migration is the Achilles' heel of Europe.

The rapid arrival of migrants is believed to be connected to a Spanish Supreme Court ruling. The court determined that migrants reaching Ceuta by sea, unlike those attempting to cross land borders, are not subject to immediate expulsion to Morocco. This legal interpretation, disseminated quickly through social media, resonated with young Moroccans facing poor future prospects.

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The sudden influx of tens of thousands of mostly Moroccan migrants was an absolute trauma for that community - also for people who themselves have Moroccan roots or great-grandparents.

Speculation points to Morocco's potential role in facilitating the surge, a tactic reportedly used before. In 2021, a similar event saw thousands of migrants enter Ceuta after Spain secretly treated a Western Saharan independence leader in a hospital, a highly sensitive issue for Morocco. The recent incident occurred shortly after Spain shifted its stance on the Western Sahara, a territory claimed and occupied by Morocco.

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Spain has a law that allows migrants who try to climb over the border barriers in Ceuta and Melilla to be immediately returned to Morocco. But in the sea there are no barriers, and therefore anyone who reaches Ceuta swimming does not fall under that law, the Supreme Court ruled.