The migration drama in Ceuta was caused by a c …

From Madrid

A diplomatic conflict between Spain and Morocco born from the decision of the government of Pedro Sánchez to give humanitarian shelter to a leader of the Polisario National Liberation Front provoked an unprecedented migratory crisis in the Spanish city of Ceuta, a North African enclave in the Strait of Gibraltar of barely 85,000 inhabitants. It is the greatest political, diplomatic and humanitarian crisis between the two countries in memory since in 1975, in the process of decolonization, Morocco mobilized 50,000 civilians to invade Western Sahara, until then under Spanish domination and occupied since by the Alawite kingdom, which considers it to be part of its territory.

This conflict, which continues to this day, has since had as belligerent forces the Kingdom of Morocco and the National Liberation Front of the Polisario, the force which claims to represent the Saharawi people and which has waged an intermittent and unequal war with it. Moroccan army. , which enjoys the support of the United States and most Arab countries.

With historic links with the Sahrawis but forced to maintain good relations with its Moroccan neighbors, Spanish diplomacy is evolving in a fine balance which has been upset in recent weeks following a clumsy gesture by the government of Pedro Sánchez. A month ago, an old man with an Algerian passport in the name of Mohamed Bentabouch was admitted to a hospital in the town of Logroño, in the northern province of La Rioja. and in a state of gravity. He was admitted to the intensive care unit and after a few days of therapy his health improved.

Apparently, it was Moroccan intelligence that revealed that the patient was in fact Brahim Galli, 71, President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and historical leader of the Polisario Front and that the Moroccan government considers a terrorist.

Spain had agreed to host Galli for humanitarian reasons after an agreement reached with Algeria, a bad neighbor of Morocco and one of the few countries which still support the Polisario Front.

This action was understood as an act of hostility on the part of Morocco, whose government saw the claim of sovereignty over the Sahara reinforced after Donald Trump, before leaving the White House and as it did admitting Jerusalem. as the capital of Israel, look to the North. American foreign policy and recognize the Moroccans in their claim of sovereignty over Western Sahara. Morocco is one of the few Arab countries to maintain normalized relations with Israel and is a fundamental ally of the United States in North Africa.

Emboldened by this recognition, which Joe Biden has not rectified, the Moroccan regime has decided to set an example for its Spanish neighbor. Monday evening, it removed all its border controls. Within hours, Ceuta was inundated by thousands of Moroccans, mostly young, who crossed in the hope of fleeing poverty and starting a new life on European territory. “There are acts which have consequences and which must be assumed,” said Ambassador to Madrid, Karima Benyaich, a person considered to be a member of the narrowest circle of the Alawite king, Mohamed VI, shortly before d ‘be called for consultations.

Morocco knows it has a powerful weapon. The fences that separate it from the two Spanish cities of North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla (over which it also claims sovereignty), are the border between the territories with the largest income gap in the world. These are hot spots where migratory pressure is constant and where something as simple as removing or relaxing controls can create a humanitarian crisis for the neighboring country that is difficult to manage. Thousands of Africans from all walks of life arrive at this border every year in an attempt to cross it.. Without Morocco’s collaboration, its control is impossible.

In just a few hours, it is estimated that around 8,000 people entered Ceuta, either by swimming or through unchecked passages. The city, barely 18.5 square kilometers and surrounded by the sea, has seen its population increase by ten percent.

The government of Pedro Sánchez mobilized the army to try to contain the avalanche and this Wednesday at the last minute the situation seemed under control.

Security forces returned 5,600 of the more than 8,000 migrants, but the political problem will have a development that is difficult to diagnose. Hundreds of young people have been walking the streets of the Spanish city since Tuesday aimlessly asking for water and food. Many of them took refuge in abandoned buildings while waiting for their situation to be resolved and in the hope of making the leap to Europe. It is not known how many miners there are among them and this is one of the most difficult problems to solve.

European legislation and international treaties to which Spain is a signatory prohibit the expulsion of unaccompanied minors, to whom the state is obliged to provide protection.. These children and young people have become the privileged target of the extreme right, whose leader, Santiago Abascal, was quick to appear in Ceuta to denounce what he considers an invasion, demanding a strong hand with the Morocco and demand the immediate return of all. migrants.

The European Union, for its part, has toughened its tone with Morocco. European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas has warned that Europe “will not be intimidated or blackmailed” on immigration issues and offered Spain resources to secure the border in the two African cities.

Meanwhile, Pedro Sánchez, although he acknowledged that the Moroccan movement poses a challenge to Spain, began to make the usual concessions to appease the neighboring country. His government has already approved aid of 30 million euros which will be supposed to be used to give Morocco more means to control its border.

In addition, the High National Court reactivated two cases against Galli for alleged crimes of genocide, following a complaint from the Sahrawi Association for the Defense of Human Rights; and on the other, illegal detention, torture and against humanity, for a complaint by an activist. According to the Sahrawis, these are two procedures initiated at the request of pro-Moroccan associations.

The diplomatic crisis is far from over, however.