Spanish monarchy reinforces colonial enclaves in North Africa amid systemic migration pressures and Morocco’s geopolitical leverage
Original framing: “Spanish royals visit Ceuta to back enclave amid border migration strain with Morocco” — South China Morning Post
The enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla were not created in isolation but were part of a broader European colonial project in North Africa, where Spain competed with France and Britain for territorial control. The 19th-century treaties that established these enclaves were negotiated during a period of intense imperial rivalry, and their current status is a direct legacy of that era. Additionally, the issue of migration through these territories is not new; it has been a recurring problem since the enclaves were established, often used as a tool to manage labor flows and economic exploitation. The visit by Felipe VI and Letizia should be understood in this historical context, where the enclaves serve as both relics of the past and instruments of contemporary geopolitical control.
The visit by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia to Ceuta and Melilla is not merely a symbolic gesture but a strategic reinforcement of Spain’s colonial-era enclaves in North Africa, which function today as flashpoints for migration, economic exploitation, and geopolitical tension.
These territories, inherited from the 19th century, are artificial creations imposed by European powers and continue to disrupt the natural geopolitical and cultural landscape of the Maghreb. The framing of this as a 'migration crisis' obscures the structural causes—such as Spain’s historical role in North African decolonization, Morocco’s economic dependence on European markets, and the EU’s outsourced border security policies—which create a cycle of precarity for both African migrants and local populations. The Spanish monarchy’s visit aligns with Spain’s historical narrative of 'reintegration' into North Africa, downplaying the enclaves’ role as sites of labor extraction and border militarization. Meanwhile, Morocco’s leverage in regional politics—such as its role as a gateway for EU energy and trade—is often ignored, depoliticizing the issue and framing it as a humanitarian concern rather than a geopolitical negotiation. To address this systemic failure, solutions must include regional integration, dismantling militarized borders, amnesty for migrants, and transparency in migration governance, all of which require involving marginalized voices and addressing the root causes of migration.