2021 Morocco–Spain Border Incident
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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 (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...
and
Melilla Melilla (, ; ) is an autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. 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 part of the Province of Málaga un ...
in
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
that began on 17 May 2021. It originated due to a deterioration in
diplomatic relations Diplomacy is the communication by representatives of state, intergovernmental, or non-governmental institutions intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern Diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. ...
between the governments of
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
and
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, after the latter admitted the transfer of the
president of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic The president of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is the head of state of the partially recognized Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), a government in exile based in the Sahrawi refugee camps of Tindouf, Algeria. From the declara ...
,
Brahim Ghali Brahim Ghali () (, born 19 August 1949) is a Sahrawi politician, military officer and current president of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), formerly its ambassador to Algeria and Spain. Ghali played a key role in the struggle of th ...
, to a Spanish hospital in
La Rioja La Rioja () is an autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community and provinces of Spain, province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other List of municipalities in La Rioja, cities and towns in the ...
, in April 2021. A month after the hospitalization, the Moroccan security forces located on the border in
Ceuta Ceuta (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...
(and to a lesser extent those in
Melilla Melilla (, ; ) is an autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. 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 part of the Province of Málaga un ...
) relaxed the last control mechanisms, allowing the passage of migrants from
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
to the Spanish city, most of whom made the journey by swimming. Approximately 8,000
illegal immigrants Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of that country's immigration laws, or the continuous residence in a country without the legal right to do so. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upward, wi ...
, of which 1,500 were minors, crossed the border of the autonomous city of
Ceuta Ceuta (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...
by the
breakwaters A breakwater is a permanent structure constructed at a coastal area to protect against tides, currents, waves, and storm surges. Breakwaters have been built since antiquity to protect anchorages, helping isolate vessels from marine hazards ...
of the beaches of Benzú and El Tarajal. The
Spanish government The government of Spain () is the central government which leads the executive branch and the General State Administration of the Kingdom of Spain. The Government consists of the Prime Minister and the Ministers; the prime minister has the o ...
responded by moving security forces to the area and implementing a pushback mechanism. Most of the new arrivals were returned to
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
within a few days of the incident. To date, this is the largest irregular entry of people across the border in
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
.


Background

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
and
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
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 (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...
and
Melilla Melilla (, ; ) is an autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. 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 part of the Province of Málaga un ...
; both constitute Spanish exclaves located north of Morocco, and are the only land entry point to the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
from the
African continent Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
. In April 2021,
Brahim Ghali Brahim Ghali () (, born 19 August 1949) is a Sahrawi politician, military officer and current president of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), formerly its ambassador to Algeria and Spain. Ghali played a key role in the struggle of th ...
, the Sahrawi President and Secretary-General of the
Polisario Front The Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro (Spanish language, Spanish: ; ), better known by its acronym Polisario Front, is a Sahrawi nationalism, Sahrawi nationalist liberation movement seeking to end the occupatio ...
, was admitted for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
in a hospital in
Logroño Logroño ( , , ) is the capital of the autonomous community of La Rioja (Spain), La Rioja, Spain. Located in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, primarily in the right (South) bank of the Ebro River, Logroño has historically been a place of pa ...
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 by Jeune Afrique Media Group. It is the most widely read pan-African magazine. It o ...
'', he would have been hospitalized for digestive
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...
. The hospitalization provoked a negative reaction from the
Moroccan government Politics of Morocco take place in a framework of an official parliamentary semi-constitutional islamic monarchy, whereby the prime minister of Morocco is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the ...
, 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 (''asylum'' ), is a juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereignty, sovereign authority, such as a second country or ...
to the leader of the
Catalan independence movement The Catalan independence movement (; ; ) is a Social movement, social and political movement with roots in Catalan nationalism that seeks the independence of Catalonia from Spain. While proposals, organizations and individuals advocating for Ca ...
Carles Puigdemont Carles Puigdemont i Casamajó (; born 29 December 1962) is a Catalan politician and journalist from Spain. He has been the President of Together for Catalonia (Junts) since 2024, having previously held the office from 2020 to 2022. He served ...
. 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 List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
and
Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ) is the Capital (political), capital city of Morocco and the List of cities in Morocco, country's seventh-largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. ...
. 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 is the communication by representatives of state, intergovernmental, or non-governmental institutions intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern Diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. ...
between two nations. In a statement on 20 May 2021, the Moroccan Foreign Minister,
Nasser Bourita Nasser Bourita (; 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 Taounate () is a town in northern Morocco, ...
, confirmed that the discomfort in
Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ) is the Capital (political), capital city of Morocco and the List of cities in Morocco, country's seventh-largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. ...
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 (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...
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 Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...
." 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 a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
began to arrive on the shores of
Ceuta Ceuta (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...
. 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 exter ...
due to the inability of
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
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 (), is the head of government of Spain. The prime minister nominates the Spanish government departments, ministers and chairs the Council of Ministers (Spain), Council of Mini ...
,
Pedro Sánchez Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón (; born 29 February 1972) is a Spanish politician who has served as Prime Minister of Spain since 2018. He has also been Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) since July 2017, having p ...
, 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. When ...
signed between
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
and
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
. The
Spanish Ministry of Defense The Ministry of Defence (MINISDEF) is the department of the Government of Spain responsible for planning, developing and carrying out the general guidelines of the Government about the defence policy and the managing of the military administratio ...
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 organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...
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 usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...
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 ...
and severe
fatigue Fatigue is a state of tiredness (which is not sleepiness), exhaustion or loss of energy. It is a signs and symptoms, symptom of any of various diseases; it is not a disease in itself. Fatigue (in the medical sense) is sometimes associated wit ...
after swimming across the
breakwater Breakwater may refer to: * Breakwater (structure), a structure for protecting a beach or harbour Places * Breakwater, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia * Breakwater Island, Antarctica * Breakwater Islands, Nunavut, Canada * ...
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 had allowed them to cross the border. According to statements by some residents of
Castillejos Castillejos, officially the Municipality of Castillejos (; ), is a municipality in the province of Zambales, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 67,889 people. History Castillejos was established in 1743 by Tagal ...
, a Moroccan city near the
Ceuta Ceuta (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...
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 and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. Likewise, there was a greater flow of arrivals to the autonomous city of
Melilla Melilla (, ; ) is an autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. 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 part of the Province of Málaga un ...
, 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 List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
, Karima Benyaich, assured that she would not return to her embassy in Spain while Brahim Ghali 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 composed of some 24 ministers including 5 "Minister Delegates". It is headed by the Prime Minister since August 2011, who is appointed by the King of Moro ...
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 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 organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...
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 Moroccan security forces, 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. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...
would be deployed on the border of the autonomous city with the aim of reinforcing border surveillance and security. The
Spanish Government The government of Spain () is the central government which leads the executive branch and the General State Administration of the Kingdom of Spain. The Government consists of the Prime Minister and the Ministers; the prime minister has the o ...
designed a distribution plan for the different
autonomous communities The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Spa ...
for minors who were trapped in
Ceuta Ceuta (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...
. 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 Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
criticized Moroccan irredentism on
Ceuta Ceuta (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...
and
Melilla Melilla (, ; ) is an autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. 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 part of the Province of Málaga un ...
; The
Istiqlal Party The Istiqlal Party (; ; ) is a political party in Morocco. It is a conservative and monarchist party and a member of the Centrist Democrat International and International Democracy Union. Istiqlal headed a coalition government under Abbas El Fa ...
of the Maghreb country, with Moroccan
ultranationalist Ultranationalism, or extreme nationalism, is an extremist form of nationalism in which a country asserts or maintains hegemony, supremacy, or other forms of control over other nations (usually through violent coercion) to pursue its specific ...
line, expressed in May 2021 that the Spanish action of welcoming Ghali "seriously tarnishes" its bilateral relations. The Polisario Front questioned Istiqlal, reminding the
Spanish government The government of Spain () is the central government which leads the executive branch and the General State Administration of the Kingdom of Spain. The Government consists of the Prime Minister and the Ministers; the prime minister has the o ...
that the aforementioned party, in its relations, defends that "the territorial integrity of the
Kingdom of Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to the east, and t ...
will be incomplete without recovering all the occupied Moroccan lands, including
Ceuta Ceuta (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...
and
Melilla Melilla (, ; ) is an autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. 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 part of the Province of Málaga un ...
". The president of the government,
Pedro Sánchez Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón (; born 29 February 1972) is a Spanish politician who has served as Prime Minister of Spain since 2018. He has also been Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) since July 2017, having p ...
, and the Minister of Interior,
Fernando Grande-Marlaska Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gómez (; born 26 July 1962) is a Spanish judge and politician who has served as minister of the Interior since June 2018. An independent politician close to the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, he has been Member of th ...
, 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 (Spanish political party), Podemos who served as Ministry of Social Rights and 2030 Agenda, Minister of Social Rights and 2030 Agenda from 2021 t ...
, 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, was a democratic socialist electoral alliance formed by Podemos, United Left, and other left-wing to far-left parties in May to contest the 2016 S ...
, 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 () is a concept introduced in the 1920s by the German philosopher, jurist and Nazi Party member Carl Schmitt, similar to a state of emergency (martial law) but based in the sovereign's ability to transcend the rule of law in t ...
". 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 who has been the Vox (political party)#Presidents, president of Vox since 2015. He has also been the Patriots.eu#President, president of Patriots.eu since 2024, and has been a ...
, 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 Weapon, armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable ...
. From Brussels, the president of the
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...
,
Ursula von der Leyen Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (; ; born 8 October 1958) is a German politician, serving as president of the European Commission since 2019. She served in the Cabinet of Germany, German federal government between 2005 and 2019, holding position ...
, expressed solidarity with
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
and called for consensus to produce a new Pact on Migration; For her part, the
European Commissioner for Home Affairs The European Commissioner for Home Affairs is a member of the European Commission. Its responsibilities include internal security, counter-terrorism, law enforcement, migration policy, border control, and maintaining the Schengen Area’s integrit ...
,
Ylva Johansson Ylva Julia Margareta Johansson (born 13 February 1964) is a Swedish politician who served as European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Sweden's European Commissioner in the von der Leyen Commission from 1 December 2019 to 30 November 2024. Jo ...
, warned the
Government of Morocco The Cabinet of Morocco is the chief executive body of the Kingdom of Morocco. The Cabinet is composed of some 24 ministers including 5 "Minister Delegates". It is headed by the Prime Minister since August 2011, who is appointed by the King of Moro ...
that "Spanish borders are European borders". Other high officials of the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
also expressed their opinions:
Charles Michel Charles Michel (; born 21 December 1975) is a Belgian politician who served as the president of the European Council from 2019 to 2024. He previously served as the Prime Minister of Belgium, prime minister of Belgium between 2014 and 2019. Miche ...
,
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 Institutions of the European Union, institution comprises the college of heads of state or governme ...
,
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 of ...
,
President of the European Parliament The president of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. They also represent the Parliament within the European Union (EU) and internationally. The president's signature is required for Euro ...
, and Margaritis Schinás, European Commissioner. The former vice president of the Italian council of ministers and leader of the
far-right Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on the far end of the ...
Lega Nord Lega Nord (LN; ), whose complete name is (), is a right-wing politics, right-wing, federalism, federalist, populism, populist and conservatism, conservative list of political parties in Italy, political party in Italy. In the run-up to the 201 ...
party,
Matteo Salvini Matteo Salvini (; born 9 March 1973) is an Italian politician who has been serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport since 2022. He has been List of F ...
, applauded the action of the
Spanish government The government of Spain () is the central government which leads the executive branch and the General State Administration of the Kingdom of Spain. The Government consists of the Prime Minister and the Ministers; the prime minister has the o ...
on the border with
Ceuta Ceuta (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...
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 either as a whole or of certain social hierarchies. Left-wing politi ...
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 that country's immigration laws, or the continuous residence in a country without the legal right to do so. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upward, wi ...
".
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
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 union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
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.


Harassment of a Red Cross volunteer

After the event, several media outlets broadcast images in which a
Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...
volunteer hugged a migrant on the beach in
Ceuta Ceuta (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...
. 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 (; ), known as Radiotelevisión Española (''Spanish Radio and Television'', RTVE), is the Spanish national public Broadcasting, television and radio broadcaster. It is a state-owned enterprise f ...
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 and without their consent. Historically, the term has been used to refer to both the aggregati ...
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, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
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 serving as the President of the European Investment Bank since January 2024. From June 2018 to December 2023, Calviño was part of the cabinets l ...
; the Minister of Labor,
Yolanda Díaz Yolanda Díaz Pérez (; born 6 May 1971) is a Spanish politician and labour lawyer, currently serving as Second Deputy Prime Minister of Spain, Second Deputy Prime Minister since 2021, and Ministry of Labour (Spain), Minister of Labour and Socia ...
; and the president of the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is a worldwide humanitarian aid organization that reaches 160 million people each year through its 191 member National Societies. It acts before, during and after disas ...
, Jagan Chapagain.


See also

*
2007 Morocco–Spain diplomatic conflict The 2007 Morocco–Spain diplomatic conflict was a short-lived disturbance of international relations between Morocco and Spain that arose after the announcement of the impending visit of Juan Carlos I to the Spanish-ruled autonomous cities Ceuta ...
*
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 it. ...
*
Green March The Green March was a strategic mass demonstration in November 1975, coordinated by the Moroccan government and military, to force Spain to hand over the disputed, autonomous semi-metropolitan province of Spanish Sahara to Morocco. The Spani ...
* Morocco-Spain relations *
Greater Morocco Greater Morocco is a label historically used by some Moroccan nationalist political leaders protesting against Spanish, French and Portuguese rule, to refer to wider territories historically associated with the Moroccan sultan. Current usage ...
*
Refugees as weapons "Refugees as weapons" is a term used to describe a hostile government organizing, or threatening to organize, a sudden influx of refugees into another country or political entity with the intent of causing political disturbances in that entity. ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2021 Morocco-Spain border incident Morocco–Spain relations May 2021 in Spain