The King's Revenge: The Political Move Behind the Mass Invasion of Ceuta

A detailed report in Spain's El País reveals that the invasion of thousands of migrants into Ceuta was a calculated move by Morocco's king amid the crisis with Spain. The border ceased to exist on Thursday, and the city collapsed by Friday. Sánchez called it a 'violation of territorial integrity' but praised cooperation. In Europe, the far right is exploiting the chaos to set the agenda.

A detailed report in the Spanish newspaper El País claims that the invasion of thousands of migrants into Ceuta, the Spanish enclave in North Africa, was a calculated move by Morocco's king amid the crisis with Spain. According to the report, on Thursday afternoon the Moroccan border effectively ceased to exist. Thousands of migrants, mostly young Moroccans but also refugees from Sudan, Yemen, Senegal, and Algeria, walked unimpeded, circled the breakwater, and entered Spanish territory. Only on Friday morning, after the city collapsed under the strain, did Morocco 'wake from its siesta' and begin dispersing the crowds that remained behind. Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, called the event a 'violation of territorial integrity,' but in the same breath praised 'cooperation' with Morocco. In Europe, the far right is exploiting the chaos to set the agenda, and center-left leaders have adopted harsher rhetoric. According to an analysis in The New York Times, unlike the 2015 crisis, the far right is now in positions of power or close to leadership.