The right’s exploitation of the Ceuta migrant ‘crisis’ almost guarantees that it will happen again
The EU’s panic and the lack of solidarity emboldens smugglers and the far right – and makes Spain even more vulnerable
TL;DR
- The Ceuta migrant crisis, involving thousands of Moroccans entering the Spanish enclave, has been politicized by the European far-right and the Trump administration.
- Despite Ceuta's heavily militarized border, the crisis highlights how migration can be used as a tool of leverage by Morocco, dependent on broader political and economic aims.
- Shifting geopolitical alliances, including Morocco's strengthening ties with Israel and the US, and Spain's recent outreach to Algeria, appear to be factors in the timing of the crisis.
- The article criticizes the EU's 'security obsession' and internal divisions, arguing that panic and politicking over migration weaken solidarity and empower hostile regimes and anti-European forces.
- A call is made for a new migration politics focused on de-escalating panic, prioritizing diplomacy, and weakening the influence of smugglers and autocrats.