The 2021 Morocco–Spain border incident was a migratory incident caused by the massive crossing of people along the beaches of the
border between both countries in the direction of
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territo ...
and
Melilla
Melilla ( , ; ; rif, Mřič ; ar, مليلية ) is an autonomous city of Spain located in north Africa. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was ...
in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
that began on 17 May 2021. It originated due to a deterioration in
diplomatic relations
Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...
between the
Moroccan monarchy
Moroccan may refer to:
* Something or someone from, or related to the country of Morocco
* Moroccan people
* Moroccan Arabic, spoken in Morocco
* Moroccan Jews
See also
* Morocco leather
Morocco leather (also known as Levant, the French Maro ...
and the
Government of Spain
gl, Goberno de España eu, Espainiako Gobernua
, image =
, caption = Logo of the Government of Spain
, headerstyle = background-color: #efefef
, label1 = Role
, data1 = Executive power
, label2 = Established
, da ...
, after the latter admitted the transfer of the main representative of the
Saharawi independence movement
Polisario Front
The Polisario Front, Frente Polisario, Frelisario or simply Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro), (in ar, rtl=yes, الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير الس� ...
to a Spanish hospital in
La Rioja
La Rioja () is an autonomous community and province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other cities and towns in the province include Calahorra, Arnedo, Alfaro, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a ...
, in April 2021. A month after the hospitalization, the Moroccan security forces located on the border in
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territo ...
(and to a lesser extent those in
Melilla
Melilla ( , ; ; rif, Mřič ; ar, مليلية ) is an autonomous city of Spain located in north Africa. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was ...
) relaxed the last control mechanisms, allowing the passage of migrants from
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...
to the Spanish city, most of whom made the journey by swimming.
Approximately 8,000
irregular immigrants, of which 1,500 were
minors,
crossed the border of the autonomous city of
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territo ...
by the
breakwaters
A breakwater is a permanent structure constructed at a coastal area to protect against tides, currents, waves, and storm surges. Part of a coastal management system, breakwaters are installed to minimize erosion, and to protect anchorages, h ...
of the beaches of
Benzú
Benzú is a small settlement within the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta. It has a population of 1,987 according to the 2011 census, divided into two units with Ceuta as its municipality.
Description
Benzú is in the northwest of the Spanish exc ...
and El Tarajal. The
Spanish government
gl, Goberno de España eu, Espainiako Gobernua
, image =
, caption = Logo of the Government of Spain
, headerstyle = background-color: #efefef
, label1 = Role
, data1 = Executive power
, label2 = Established
, da ...
responded by moving security forces to the area and implementing a
pushback
In aviation, pushback is an airport procedure during which an aircraft is pushed backwards away from its parking position, usually at an airport gate by external power. Pushbacks are carried out by special, low-profile vehicles called ''pushback ...
mechanism. Most of the new arrivals were returned to
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...
within a few days of the incident.
To date, this is the largest irregular entry of people across the border in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
.
Background
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
and
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...
have a bilateral agreement aimed at controlling the arrival of migrants to Spanish territory. The agreement entails cooperation on the part of the African country when it comes to limiting access at the border of the autonomous cities of
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territo ...
and
Melilla
Melilla ( , ; ; rif, Mřič ; ar, مليلية ) is an autonomous city of Spain located in north Africa. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was ...
; both constitute Spanish enclaves located north of Morocco, and are the only land entry point to the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...
from the
African continent
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface are ...
.
In April 2021,
Brahim Ghali
Brahim Ghali () ( ar, rtl=yes, إبراهيم غالي, Ibrāhīm Ġālī; es, Brahim Gali; born 16 September 1949) is a Sahrawi politician and military officer that serves as the current president of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) ...
, leader of the
Polisario Front
The Polisario Front, Frente Polisario, Frelisario or simply Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro), (in ar, rtl=yes, الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير الس� ...
—the main
Saharawi political movement that claims the decolonization and independence of
Western Sahara
Western Sahara ( '; ; ) is a disputed territory on the northwest coast and in the Maghreb region of North and West Africa. About 20% of the territory is controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), while ...
, in the hands of
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...
—was admitted for
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickl ...
in a hospital in
Logroño
Logroño () is the capital of the province of La Rioja, situated in northern Spain. Traversed in its northern part by the Ebro River, Logroño has historically been a place of passage, such as the Camino de Santiago. Its borders were disputed b ...
under a false identity. According to the weekly ''
Jeune Afrique
''Jeune Afrique'' (English: ''Young Africa'') is a French-language pan-African weekly news magazine, founded in 1960 in Tunis and subsequently published in Paris. It is the most widely read pan-African magazine. It is also a book publisher, un ...
'', he would have been hospitalized for digestive
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bl ...
.
The hospitalization provoked a negative reaction from the
Moroccan government
Politics of Morocco take place in a framework of a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, whereby the prime minister of Morocco is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative ...
, which summoned the Spanish ambassador to the country to express its repudiation of the act,
and even considered —according to sources close to the Moroccan government— granting
political asylum
The right of asylum (sometimes called right of political asylum; ) is an ancient juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereign authority, like a second country or another ent ...
to the leader of the
Catalan independence movement
The Catalan independence movement ( ca, independentisme català; Spanish: ''independentismo catalán'') is a social and political movement (with roots in Catalan nationalism) which seeks the independence of Catalonia from Spain.
The beginnin ...
Carles Puigdemont
Carles Puigdemont i Casamajó (; born 29 December 1962) is a Catalan politician and journalist from Spain. Since 2019 he has served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). A former mayor of Girona, Puigdemont served as President of Cata ...
. For its part, the
Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded by justifying
Ghali's entry into Spanish territory "for strictly humanitarian reasons".
As a result of this, a diplomatic crisis broke out between
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), an ...
and
Rabat.
Karima Benyaich, Moroccan ambassador to Spain, stated in a statement about Ghali's hospitalization that "there are acts that have consequences and they have to be assumed", and described the Spanish action as "inconsistent with the spirit of friendship and good neighborly relations between the two countries."
Later she would be called for consultation by both governments, action that is usually considered as a tense point in
diplomatic relations
Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...
between two nations. In a statement on 20 May 2021, the
Moroccan Foreign Minister,
Nasser Bourita
Nasser Bourita ( ar, ناصر بوريطة; born ) is a Moroccan diplomat serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates since 5 April 2017.
Education
Bourita was born in Taounate, Morocco. In 1991, B ...
, confirmed that the discomfort in
Rabat had its origin in the transfer of Ghali, protesting the fact that he had been received in Spain with a false passport and identity.
Developments

On the night of 16 May 2021, a rumor broke out that the Moroccan security forces on the border between Morocco and the Spanish city of
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territo ...
had relaxed control and allowed the passage. According to statements by the Spanish police, they showed an "unusual passivity". According to the Rabat government, the
Moroccan gendarmerie was exhausted "after the celebrations at the end of
Ramadan."
In the early hours of 17 May, at approximately 02:00 hours (
GMT+1), a wave of migrants from
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...
began to arrive on the shores of
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territo ...
. Between 17 and 18 May more than 8,000 immigrants arrived in this city, among whom were approximately 1,500 minors. The vast majority of them swam across the border.
The sudden arrival of immigrants caused a
humanitarian crisis
A humanitarian crisis (or sometimes humanitarian disaster) is defined as a singular event or a series of events that are threatening in terms of health, safety or well-being of a community or large group of people. It may be an internal or extern ...
due to the inability of
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
to deal with the situation.
On the morning of 18 May, the
President of the Spanish Government
The prime minister of Spain, officially president of the Government ( es, link=no, Presidente del Gobierno), is the head of government of Spain. The office was established in its current form by the Constitution of 1978 and it was first regu ...
,
Pedro Sánchez
Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón (; born 29 February 1972) is a Spanish politician who has been Prime Minister of Spain since June 2018. He has also been Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) since June 2017, having pr ...
, announced that those who had arrived irregularly would be "
immediately returned" according to the
bilateral agreement
Bilateralism is the conduct of political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which is activity by a single state or jointly by multiple states, respectively. Wh ...
signed between
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
and
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...
.
The
Spanish Ministry of Defense also responded by moving 200 police officers to the area to support the 1,200 regular border patrol units, which would place armored vehicles along the beach to intercept new arrivals.
Volunteers from the Spanish
Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
also went to the scene to assist some
immigrants
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, ...
suffering from
hypothermia
Hypothermia is defined as a body core temperature below in humans. Symptoms depend on the temperature. In mild hypothermia, there is shivering and mental confusion. In moderate hypothermia, shivering stops and confusion increases. In severe h ...
and severe
fatigue
Fatigue describes a state of tiredness that does not resolve with rest or sleep. In general usage, fatigue is synonymous with extreme tiredness or exhaustion that normally follows prolonged physical or mental activity. When it does not resolve ...
after swimming across the
breakwater area that marks the boundary between the two countries.
The Spanish Government also enabled a fast processing system with the aim of speeding up the return process.
Some migrants affirmed, through statements to
Eldiario.es, that the
Moroccan police
Moroccan may refer to:
* Something or someone from, or related to the country of Morocco
* Moroccan people
* Moroccan Arabic, spoken in Morocco
* Moroccan Jews
See also
* Morocco leather
Morocco leather (also known as Levant, the French Maro ...
had allowed them to cross the border. According to statements by some residents of
Castillejos
Castillejos, officially the Municipality of Castillejos ( ilo, Ili ti Castillejos; tl, Bayan ng Castillejos), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Zambales, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 67,889 peopl ...
, a Moroccan city near the
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territo ...
border, young people from the city made the journey to the Spanish enclave encouraged by the false idea that famous soccer players were present in the Spanish city.
In the middle of the afternoon of the same day, the Spanish government announced that it had processed the expulsion of 4,000 immigrants.
The minors were transferred to
Piniés and to different naval bases in the area, where a quarantine was applied to them according to the regulation enabled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
.
Likewise, there was a greater flow of arrivals to the autonomous city of
Melilla
Melilla ( , ; ; rif, Mřič ; ar, مليلية ) is an autonomous city of Spain located in north Africa. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was ...
, also located in northern Morocco, where 80 immigrants crossed the
double fence that separates the two nations.
On 20 May, the Moroccan ambassador in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), an ...
, Karima Benyaich, assured that she would not return to her embassy in Spain while the leader of the
Saharawi Polisario remained in Spanish territory, recognizing the matter as the "true cause" of the crisis; and lamented the "campaign of media hostility" by the Spanish media against the African country.
De-escalation
19 May was the turning point in the border incident, after the
Government of Morocco
The Cabinet of Morocco is the chief executive body of the Kingdom of Morocco.
The Cabinet is usually composed of some 25 ministers and 5 to 10 "Secretaries of State" and "Minister Delegates". It is headed by the Prime Minister (officially ''Head o ...
gave express orders to control the transit of immigrants from its side of the border. For the early hours of the day, after the effect of the
Moroccan police
Moroccan may refer to:
* Something or someone from, or related to the country of Morocco
* Moroccan people
* Moroccan Arabic, spoken in Morocco
* Moroccan Jews
See also
* Morocco leather
Morocco leather (also known as Levant, the French Maro ...
reinforcement at the border and the
pushbacks by the Spanish security forces, the flow of arrivals had been significantly reduced; and, although these still occurred, they took place in small groups and spaced out over time. The
Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
confirmed that the number of people served was lower than in the early morning hours of the previous days. Meanwhile, in the Moroccan cities near the border, there were clashes with the security forces of the Alawite country, led by groups trying to reach Spain.
On the night of 20 May, the government delegate in Melilla announced that the
Armed Forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
would be deployed on the border of the autonomous city with the aim of reinforcing border surveillance and security. The
Spanish Government
gl, Goberno de España eu, Espainiako Gobernua
, image =
, caption = Logo of the Government of Spain
, headerstyle = background-color: #efefef
, label1 = Role
, data1 = Executive power
, label2 = Established
, da ...
designed a distribution plan for the different
autonomous communities
In Spain, an autonomous community ( es, comunidad autónoma) is the first-level political divisions of Spain, political and administrative division, created in accordance with the Constitution of Spain, Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim o ...
for minors who were trapped in
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territo ...
. As of 23 May there were at least 438 unaccompanied foreign minors being cared for by social services in the city.
Reactions
Various sources within
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
criticized
Moroccan irredentism on
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territo ...
and
Melilla
Melilla ( , ; ; rif, Mřič ; ar, مليلية ) is an autonomous city of Spain located in north Africa. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was ...
; The
Istiqlal Party
The Istiqlal Party ( ar, حزب الإستقلال, translit=Ḥizb Al-Istiqlāl, lit=Independence Party; french: Parti Istiqlal; zgh, ⴰⴽⴰⴱⴰⵔ ⵏ ⵍⵉⵙⵜⵉⵇⵍⴰⵍ) is a political party in Morocco. It is a conservative and ...
of the Maghreb country, with Moroccan
ultranationalist
Ultranationalism or extreme nationalism is an extreme form of nationalism in which a country asserts or maintains detrimental hegemony, supremacy, or other forms of control over other nations (usually through violent coercion) to pursue its sp ...
line, expressed in May 2021 that the Spanish action of welcoming
Ghali "seriously tarnishes" its bilateral relations. The
Polisario Front
The Polisario Front, Frente Polisario, Frelisario or simply Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro), (in ar, rtl=yes, الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير الس� ...
questioned
Istiqlal, reminding the
Spanish government
gl, Goberno de España eu, Espainiako Gobernua
, image =
, caption = Logo of the Government of Spain
, headerstyle = background-color: #efefef
, label1 = Role
, data1 = Executive power
, label2 = Established
, da ...
that the aforementioned party, in its relations, defends that "the territorial integrity of the
Kingdom of Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
will be incomplete without recovering all the occupied Moroccan lands, including
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territo ...
and
Melilla
Melilla ( , ; ; rif, Mřič ; ar, مليلية ) is an autonomous city of Spain located in north Africa. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was ...
".
The
president of the government,
Pedro Sánchez
Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón (; born 29 February 1972) is a Spanish politician who has been Prime Minister of Spain since June 2018. He has also been Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) since June 2017, having pr ...
, and the Minister of Interior,
Fernando Grande-Marlaska
Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gómez (born 26 July 1962) is a Spanish judge, serving as minister of the Interior since June 2018 under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Biography Early life and career
Born in Bilbao, he is the son of Avelino Grande, an ...
, flew to the area. The Minister of Social Rights,
Ione Belarra
Ione Belarra Urteaga (born 25 September 1987) is a Spanish politician and psychologist from Podemos who currently serves as Minister of Social Rights and 2030 Agenda. She has been her party's leader since June 2021.
Early life and education ...
, warned that the devolutions "must be done with judicial surveillance."
Unidas Podemos
Unidas Podemos (), formerly called Unidos Podemos () and also known in English as United We Can, is a democratic socialist electoral alliance formed by Podemos, United Left, and other left-wing to far-left parties in May to contest the 2016 Sp ...
, as a government partner, asked that the actions of the army be detailed, especially in relation to the care of minors. The
president of the Autonomous City of Ceuta,
Juan Jesús Vivas
Juan Jesús Vivas Lara (born 27 February 1953) is a Spanish politician who is the current Mayor-President of the autonomous city of Ceuta, since 8 February 2001. He is a member of the People's Party (PP).
Biography
Born in Ceuta in 1953, Jua ...
, referred to the situation as "an invasion", and stated that the atmosphere in the city resembled "a
state of exception
A state of exception (german: Ausnahmezustand) is a concept introduced in the 1920s by the German philosopher and jurist Carl Schmitt, similar to a state of emergency (martial law) but based in the sovereign's ability to transcend the rule of la ...
".
From the opposition, the
Popular Party blamed the Spanish Government for the crisis and demanded the "immediate devolution" of those who arrived. The leader of the
Vox political party,
Santiago Abascal
Santiago Abascal Conde (; born 14 April 1976) is a Spanish politician and since September 2014 the leader of the national-conservative political party Vox. Abascal is a member of the Congress of Deputies representing Madrid since 2019. Before ...
, characterized the incident as a "Moroccan invasion" by "soldiers obeying their government," and called for action through the use of
military force
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
.
From Brussels, the president of the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...
,
Ursula von der Leyen
Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (; Albrecht, born 8 October 1958) is a German politician who has been serving as the president of the European Commission since 2019. She served in the German federal government between 2005 and 2019, holding su ...
, expressed solidarity with
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
and called for consensus to produce a new Pact on Migration; For her part, the
European Commissioner for Home Affairs
A portfolio in the European Commission is an area of responsibility assigned to a European Commissioner, usually connected to one or several Directorates-General (DGs).
Portfolios Agriculture
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Devel ...
,
Ylva Johansson
Ylva Julia Margareta Johansson (born 13 February 1964) is a Swedish politician who has been serving as European Commissioner for Home Affairs since 2019. She previously served in the government of Sweden as Minister for Schools from 1994 to 199 ...
, warned the
Government of Morocco
The Cabinet of Morocco is the chief executive body of the Kingdom of Morocco.
The Cabinet is usually composed of some 25 ministers and 5 to 10 "Secretaries of State" and "Minister Delegates". It is headed by the Prime Minister (officially ''Head o ...
that "Spanish borders are European borders". Other high officials of the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...
also expressed their opinions:
Charles Michel
Charles Michel (; born 21 December 1975) is a Belgian politician serving as the president of the European Council since 2019. He previously served as the prime minister of Belgium between 2014 and 2019.
Michel became the minister of Developme ...
,
President of the European Council
The president of the European Council is the person presiding over and driving forward the work of the European Council on the world stage. This institution comprises the college of heads of state or government of EU member states as well as ...
,
David Sassoli
David Maria Sassoli (; 30 May 1956 – 11 January 2022) was an Italian politician and journalist who served as the president of the European Parliament from 3 July 2019 until his death on 11 January 2022. Sassoli was first elected as a member o ...
,
President of the European Parliament
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese f ...
, and
Margaritis Schinás,
European Commissioner
A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each member within the Commission holds a specific portfolio. The commission is led by the President of the European Commission. In simple terms they are the equivalent ...
.
The former vice president of the
Italian council of ministers and leader of the
far-right
Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of bein ...
Lega Nord
Lega Nord (; acronym: LN), whose complete name is (), is a right-wing, federalist, populist and conservative political party in Italy. In the run-up of the 2018 general election, the party was rebranded as (), without changing its official ...
party,
Matteo Salvini
Matteo Salvini (; born 9 March 1973) is an Italian politician who has served as Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport since 2022. He has been Federal Secretary of Italy's Lega Nord (Northern League) party ...
, applauded the action of the
Spanish government
gl, Goberno de España eu, Espainiako Gobernua
, image =
, caption = Logo of the Government of Spain
, headerstyle = background-color: #efefef
, label1 = Role
, data1 = Executive power
, label2 = Established
, da ...
on the border with
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territo ...
in a tweet that said in Italian: "Spain, with a
leftist
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soc ...
government, will send the army to the border to block the entry of
illegal immigrants
Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwar ...
".
Amnesty International criticized the fact that the migrants were used as "political pawns", calling for an investigation into the alleged use of violence by the Spanish security forces, and calling on the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...
not to "make a blind eye" before the possible abuses that could have been committed in community territory. He also asked to guarantee the protection of minors arriving in the European country and denounced the "long history of abuse of the rights of asylum seekers and migrants" by
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...
.
Harassment of a Red Cross volunteer
After the event, several media outlets broadcast images in which a
Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
volunteer hugged a migrant on the beach in
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territo ...
. Hours after they went viral, however, the volunteer closed her social media accounts due to a series of mass abuses and threats from anonymous users. and characters linked to the
Spanish extreme right, such as Cristina Seguí, co-founder of
Vox, and
Hermann Tertsch. The young woman later intervened on
RTVE
The Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española, S.A. (; ), known as Radiotelevisión Española or RTVE, is the state-owned public corporation that assumed in 2007 the indirect management of the Spanish public radio and television service kno ...
to explain that, after the
doxxing
Doxing or doxxing is the act of publicly providing personally identifiable information about an individual or organization, usually via the internet. Historically, the term has been used interchangeably to refer to both the aggregation of this in ...
operation, users had revealed her personal information and had insulted her with racist insults; The young woman described the hug as "the most normal thing in the world", stating that the migrant was crying after fighting against fatigue. After the statements, however, the young woman would end up receiving a multitude of messages of support through
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
with the hashtag #GraciasLuna (translated as #ThanksLuna), among others, by the Minister of Economy,
Nadia Calviño
Nadia María Calviño Santamaría (born 3 October 1968) is a Spanish economist and civil servant who serves as First Deputy Prime Minister of Spain since July 2021 and as Minister of Economy since 2018 under prime minister Pedro Sánchez. In 2020 ...
; the Minister of Labor,
Yolanda Díaz
Yolanda Díaz Pérez (born 6 May 1971) is a Spanish politician and lawyer specialising in labour law, currently serving as Second Deputy Prime Minister since 2021 and Minister of Labour and Social Economy of the Government of Spain since 2020 ...
; and the president of the
, Jagan Chapagain.
See also
*
2007 Morocco–Spain diplomatic conflict
*
Perejil Island crisis
The Perejil Island crisis (; ) was a bloodless armed conflict between Spain and Morocco that took place on 11–18 July 2002. The incident took place over the small, uninhabited Perejil Island, when a squad of the Royal Moroccan Navy occupied i ...
*
Green March
The Green March was a strategic mass demonstration in November 1975, coordinated by the Moroccan government, to force Spain to hand over the disputed, autonomous semi-metropolitan province of Spanish Sahara to Morocco. At that time, the Spa ...
*
Morocco-Spain relations
*
Greater Morocco
Greater Morocco is a label historically used by some Moroccan nationalist political leaders protesting against Spanish, Portuguese, Algerian and French rule, to refer to wider territories historically associated with the Moroccan sultan. Curre ...
References
{{Reflist
Morocco–Spain relations
2021 in Spain