[International] Morocco Suspected of Allowing Illegal Immigrants into Ceuta; AFP Analyzes Underlying Reasons
RtiTalk 小編20d ago
Last week, Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta experienced a large-scale illegal immigrant crossing incident. Witnesses and experts told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the incident may be related to Morocco relaxing its border controls. However, if this is the case, what benefits does Morocco intend to achieve?
According to an Associated Press report, a massive wave of illegal crossings occurred in Ceuta on July 30-31, with approximately 50,000 to 60,000 migrants entering the city of only 84,000 people by swimming and other means. The Spanish government later stated that most had returned to Morocco, with about 2,500 remaining in Ceuta.
This wave of crossings resulted in severe casualties. Spanish authorities reported at least 72 migrant deaths, including drownings and stampedes while breaking through breakwaters. Morocco reported 11 deaths on the other side of the border, but did not specify if they were duplicates of those reported by Spain.
Here is AFP's understanding of the situation:
Did Morocco deliberately relax controls?
According to witness accounts interviewed by AFP, thousands of people who flocked to the border town of Fnideq were not stopped by roadblocks.
A source familiar with repatriation operations told AFP: "There were regular Gendarmerie checkpoints on the road, but no special deployments were added."
Pierre Vermeren, an expert on North African issues, pointed out that Moroccan police have always been "efficient, well-organized, and possess excellent intelligence." He believes that "if they truly wanted to prevent people from reaching the border, they could have completely blocked the roads."
Mohamed Benaissa, head of the human rights organization "Northern Observatory for Human Rights" (ONDH) in Fnideq, stated: "We observed a reduction in security measures in the city center."
He cited the example of support police arriving at the scene around 7 PM on July 30, while hundreds of people had already illegally crossed into Ceuta in the preceding days.
AFP noted that there is currently no evidence to suggest that Morocco's highest levels made relevant decisions.
However, Riccardo Fabiani, North Africa director at the International Crisis Group based in Brussels, Belgium, believes that "there are now sufficient indications that the Rabat (Morocco) authorities were involved in this crisis."
He pointed to testimonies from Moroccan migrants and "videos showing security forces taking a passive attitude in intercepting trucks full of illegal crossers"; however, AFP could not verify these images.
A Moroccan source familiar with the case denied any "relaxation" at land border crossings to AFP on the 3rd. The previous day, the Moroccan Ministry of Interior attributed the incident to "malicious operations" and "dissemination of false information" on social media.
In response to external doubts about Morocco, some observers pointed out that this wave of illegal crossings occurred during the "Throne Day" celebrations, when authorities usually emphasize the kingdom's stability.
The Moroccan royal family has not yet commented on this illegal crossing wave.
What benefits might Morocco be pursuing?
In Vermeren's view, this is a "warning signal" from Morocco to Spain regarding the issue of Western Sahara.
Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, is comparable in size to the UK and rich in minerals. It is currently listed by the UN as a non-self-governing territory. For decades, most of this land has been controlled by Morocco, but the "Polisario Front," an independence organization supported by Algeria, continues to fight for the independence of the Sahrawi people there, leading to ongoing conflict.
Vermeren believes that the Spanish Prime Minister's recent visit to Algiers, the capital of Algeria, may have angered Morocco.
In 2021, when a diplomatic dispute erupted between the two countries, a similar surge in cross-border traffic occurred, with over 10,000 people illegally entering Ceuta from Morocco within two days.
The dispute at that time stemmed from Spain's decision to admit a leader of the Polisario Front for medical treatment.
The crisis only ended in 2022 when Spain abandoned its long-standing neutral stance and shifted to supporting Morocco's proposal regarding Western Sahara, which also led to diplomatic rifts between Spain and Algeria.
Another key issue is that since its independence in 1956, Morocco has never recognized the Spanish enclaves in North Africa, such as Ceuta and Melilla, as Spanish territory and has always claimed sovereignty over them.
Fabiani stated that this incident once again reminds "Spain that Ceuta is still a disputed territory and difficult to defend, and that Spain needs Morocco to protect its interests there."(Editor: Liu Xianghua)
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=224189
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