Di recent influx of Moroccan migrants wey enter Spanish land wey don full news na another big episode of di regular flow of migrants into European areas.
But if you look am well, matter dey more complicated — e get history, foreign relations and global geopolitics wey mix together. No be only small movement of people; dis kain thing need make we see am with wider, global eye.
Wetin make dis case different from di normal migrant crossings from Africa go Europe na say e happen for African mainland. E happen for Ceuta and Melilla, two enclaves wey Spain dey claim for inside Moroccan area.
Ceuta na im suffer pass, Reuters talk say about 50,000 to 60,000 migrants enter di enclave. Melilla no too enter — e mostly manage to avoid big wahala, only small clashes happen instead of big influx.
Spanish takeover
Ceuta and Melilla don long time under Spanish control. Unlike some other parts of northern Morocco, these two enclaves Spain don claim dem long before Spain start to take other northern Moroccan cities for late 19th and early 20th century.
Ceuta first capture by Portugal in 1415, but e commot enter Spanish hands because of di Iberian Union (1580–1640). After dat e remain under Spanish control and Portugal accept am for di Treaty of Lisbon (1668). Melilla Spain carry am much earlier — dem take am for 1497, not long after di fall of Granada in 1492 and di finish of di Spanish Reconquista.
Even though many important global players recognise Spanish administration of di enclaves, one recent change for how di US Congress write about dem show say bigger things dey behind di incident.
Now di US dey call dem “Spanish-administered cities located in Moroccan territory”, instead of di old documents wey just call dem Spanish territory.
Dis change no come as surprise for some people, because US never too gree with di current Spanish government these last years. Di US President don make several comments wey dey critical of di Spanish government and im Prime Minister.
Dis strained relationship between Spain and US na wetin make plenty people begin dey doubt say di Ceuta and Melilla case na simple matter.
Strained relations
US don many times criticise Spain for dem migration stances and for wetin dem call Spain’s passivity over di Iran war. Di US President even call dis migrant incident an “invasion”, wey fit mean say e dey blame Spanish migration policy.
For di matter of Spain’s wartime passivity, some people see am as action wey work against US goals. For example, after di Iran War start, Spain refuse make US use some military bases in March. Dis one resemble how Spain block some arms shipments wey dey go Israel for 2024 and 2025, and later Spain pass parliamentary arms embargo for October 2025.
All these developments make people dey wonder if di recent migrant incident fit join inside Spain’s foreign relations and di choices dem dey make for foreign policy.
Di Spanish government, because e lean more to di left, dey adopt more lenient border policy. You fit see dat for di Spanish Supreme Court ruling wey concern migrants wey dey arrive by sea. People talk say dis ruling fit don help ignite wetin happen for Ceuta and Melilla.
Some people even dey speculate say US and im allies fit don exploit dis leniency to cause di incident, because such incident go put pressure on di Spanish government from di country’s active right-wing anti-migration lobby.
Others dey even talk say di plan no only dey to weaken di government inside Spain, but to make Spain lose small control for di enclaves and for di Spanish-Moroccan Mediterranean shores wey start westwards from di Strait of Gibraltar.
If Spain lose grip and influence for dat area, e mean Morocco go get better position — and dat fit sweet US and im allies eye. After all, na Morocco allow some arms shipments wey Spain block make dem pass, and with di Iran conflict still dey, US and Israel no fit afford make dem supply lines jam for di Strait of Gibraltar, especially as di Strait of Hormuz and di Bab-al-Mandeb no dey reliable again.
Up till now, di Spanish government don handle di incident, and majority of di migrants wey break enter don already go back.
Even so, if you look di matter with wider eye wey consider global events, dis incident still remind us wetin dey happen for global politics, and fit even show small sign of wetin fit happen for Spain–US relations for future.
For now, wetin we fit talk be say if di speculations wey blame US and im partners for di incident turn out to be true, then di US President comment about di matter go dey as bold as Spain own claims to di enclaves.
Di author, Yahya Habil, na Libyan freelance journalist wey dey focus on African affairs.
Disclaimer:
Di views wey di author express no necessarily be di same thing wey TRT Afrika dey think or di editorial policy dem.
