The border between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, for a quarter of a century, has been the site of numerous illegal entries. But never before has there been such a massive influx of migrants swimming. The Ceuta authorities call to firm action by the central government, the mobilization of the army and described the attitude of the Moroccon authorities as "complicit passivity".
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has vowed to restore order in Ceuta enclave, where more than 8,000 migrants have entered Morocco in recent days amid a major diplomatic crisis between the country and Spain. The crisis comes as relations between Madrid and Rabat have strained after Western Saharan Polisario Front leader, Brahim Ghali, was received in Spain in late April for treatment of Covid-19, a decision that has angered the maroccan government. Many of those who arrived in Ceuta have already been sent back to Morocco under agreements signed in 1992 between the two countries, which allow so-called ”hot expulsions” of those who have no possibility of seeking asylum.
The European Court of Human Rights, in a similar case in 2018, concluded that the ”hot expulsions” made by Spain on the border with Morocco are illegal and violate both Article 9 of Directive 2013/32 of EU and the European Convention of Human Rights, which prohibits collective expulsions and guarantees the right to an appeal procedure for the affected persons. The high migration flow to the spanish border is seen as a blackmail tactic. Spanish analysts believe that the border strain is a strategy to put pressure on Spain to recognize Morocco's sovereignty over Wester Saharan. The United States has already recognized Morocco's sovereignty over Western Saharan, in December this year. The Polisario Front, supported by Algeria, claims independence of this territory. The relationship between Spain and Morocco is strongly influenced by territorial disputes. On December 21 2020, Morrocan PM , Saadeddine Otmani said that Ceuta and Malilla are as Moroccon as Western Sahara. In the context of the increased flow of migrants from Spain, many European Union officials have expressed their support for the member state, through numerous statements.
European Commision President, Ursula von der Leyen said on Twitter that the EU ”stands in solidarity with Ceuta and Spain”. Von der Leyen reitered the need to find ”common EU solutions to migration management” and the importance of building ”stronger partnerships based on mutual trust and joint commitments with key partners like Morocco are crucial”. European Commision Vice-President, Margaritas Schinas, said in an interview with Spanish public radio, that ”Ceuta is Europe, this border is a European border and what is happening there is not Madrid's problem, it is everyone's problem”. In case of Spain, as an EU member state, it received 874 million Euro in 2014-2020 to cover its asylum and migration program, as well as the Internal Security Fund. In addition, Bruxelles has allocated another 124 million Euro in emergency assistance to support the Spanish authorities in managing migration in Ceuta and Melilla.
This aid was used to increase the capacity to receive asylum seekers, to support the detention centers for foreigners in the two cities and to provide humanitarian assistance to immigrants arriving on Spanish territory. The European Commision recalled that Rabat is one of the main beneficiares of European funds for migration management.
In 2019, the EU committed 101,7 million Euro to assist the Moroccan authorities in combating illegal human trafficking and to better meet the basic needs of vulnerable immigrants. Moreover, European Commisioner, Ylva Johansson, has strongly urged Morocco to prevent these types of migration.
Otherwise, the two states cooperate economically and in action of anti-terrorism and narcotics, their relationship is intermittently discordant.
The EU supports the management of migration in Ceuta
