EURACTIV: Spain remains silent on systematic violations of international law in enclaves

Following increased border control between Morocco and the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, the Spanish government is remaining silent on alleged violations of international law.

Ceuta and Melilla have become hotspots for passage into Europe by migrants and refugees as safe and legal routes into the bloc to claim asylum are now almost non-existent, , a source from the migration NGO No Name Kitchen told EURACTIV.

The tragedy of 24 June, in which approximately 40 people died trying to cross into Melilla, sharply underscored to the EU and international media the brutal treatment often faced by migrants at the hands of Spanish and Moroccan border authorities.

“The Spanish government is remaining silent on systematic violations of human rights and international law in Ceuta and Melilla,” the No Name Kitchen source told EURACTIV.

In March 2022, after a period of diplomatic turbulence, Spain and Morocco initiated a ‘new phase’ of refreshed relations – a move that broadly consisted of a quid-pro-quo deal: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez would back Morocco’s plans for Western Sahara, in exchange for a tightening of border control in Ceuta and Melilla by the Moroccan authorities.

Isaías Barrenada Bajo, professor of international relations at Universidad Complutense in Madrid, told EURACTIV an agreement on the management of Ceuta and Melilla was initiated to prevent Morocco from using “migrants as a weapon” against Spain.

One of the immediate consequences of the deal was the prevention of travel between Morocco and Ceuta and Melilla for some workers who are employed in the enclaves, No Name Kitchen stated in May.

“Of the 2,000 people who crossed the border, slightly more than a hundred are in Melilla now doing asylum procedures. Considering that around 40 people died, where are the rest? We do not know”, the anonymous source told EURACTIV, adding that “Morocco is doing the job that the EU is supposed to do”.

“Moroccan authorities entered in the Spanish territory, in front of the Spanish police, and took many migrants back to Morocco”, the NGO said.