The Migration Crisis in Ceuta: Defending Spain's Sovereignty and Geopolitical Pressure on Madrid

"Migratory invasion" in Ceuta, Spain: This is not only about migrants, but about the defense of sovereignty and an ugly geopolitical game. Let's not jump on the front-line stories "the Spanish prime minister can't control the border and should resign". Let's break it down.

First, to the migration:

- It is absolutely necessary for every state to protect its borders. And if the Czech Republic is part of Schengen, it is in our interest to appeal to other states, such as Spain, Italy and others, to guard their borders against illegal migration. Because otherwise it would not be possible to maintain an area with free movement without internal borders - thus one of the biggest advantages of European integration, which is generally recognized even by its opponents, would disappear.

- Furthermore, it is in our interest to reject any ideas for the redistribution of illegal migrants or asylum seekers from states that have not monitored migration. The migration pact in the form committed by Fiala and the Austrian is undesirable for the Czech Republic.

Now to geopolitics - the invasion of Ceuta, cui bono or who benefits? What we know:

- Morocco claims the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, located in Africa, from time to time and declares them as occupied colonies. Legally, however, it is a territory historically belonging to Spain for centuries.

- ⁠The Spain of left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez refused to give 5% for armaments within NATO (which is understandable and commendable). He also criticizes the aggressive war of the US and Israel against Iran, refused to give Trump its bases for attacks on Iran, and strongly criticizes the genocide in Palestine. Trump hates Sanchez.

- ⁠Morocco, on the other hand, is a close ally of the United States, which the other day supported its disputed claim to Western Sahara. In return, Morocco supports Israel, which is connected to the US by an umbilical cord. Recently, Morocco even supported the Israeli-American plan for an "endlösung" in Gaza. And they named a highway in Morocco after Trump.

- ⁠Morocco's demands for Ceuta and Melilla were recently publicly supported by an American congressman and also by some Israelis.

- ⁠Last week during the "migration bomb", according to available reports, Moroccan customs officials did not protect the border very strongly, on the contrary, there were even reports of Moroccans being urged to cross the border. So it was repeated perhaps in a larger case from 2021, and even before that from the time of the so-called "green march", so again Morocco used migrants as weapons against Spain

- ⁠There are elections in Spain in a year, maybe they will be premature, and many players in Europe, in NATO and in the USA would like it if the left-wing anti-war government of Pedro Sanchez was replaced by some Trumpites who would be less dismissive of the war and who would donate 5% to NATO.

Therefore, in my opinion, there was not so much "unmanaged migration" in Ceuta. In fact, the Čaněl forces reacted quite effectively, they immediately deported most of the migrants, which unfortunately did not come without casualties, so it is not accurate to accuse them of laxity or too much lenience). In fact, it was rather a game to weaken or prematurely overthrow the Spanish left-wing government (which is equally the interest of Trump, Israel and the European right) and at the same time encroach on Spain's sovereignty over Ceuta (which is the interest of Morocco, Trump's ally). This is indicated by the fact that even the usual mouthpieces of American militarists among fellow MEPs (Kolář) attacked in unison with Trump's friend Meloniová and others in all media that "Spain is bad, Spain out of Schengen, etc." This attempt was obviously not completely successful, the Spanish government stood up and now has the support of other European states.

This is correct in my opinion. Any attack on Spain's sovereignty over Ceuta, even verbally, is as bad as Trump's earlier attack on Denmark's sovereignty over Greenland. Spain (unlike Ukraine, to which we have no obligations) is a member of both the EU and NATO, and we are bound by alliance treaties with it. We should stand up for our allies in matters of state sovereignty.