At the end of last month, after tens of thousands of migrants surged into Ceuta, Spain's North African autonomous city, hard-line conservative politicians running on an anti-immigration platform converged on Ceuta, stoking another round of tensions.
Earlier, on May 31 (local time), Spain's Interior Ministry said that at least 48,300 of up to 60,000 migrants who entered Ceuta illegally had voluntarily returned to Morocco. Although the influx of migrants has entered a calmer phase, new conflicts are emerging as politicians championing an anti-immigration stance continue to visit Ceuta.
According to the New York Times (NYT) on June 2, the day before in Ceuta, hundreds gathered in front of a government building to protest that the government had failed to respond properly to the recent surge in migrants and trained their criticism on Spain's left-leaning Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The rally was organized by right-wing commentator Vito Quiles, known for combative street interviews targeting left-wing politicians.
But while Ceuta residents agreed with the rally's anti-government character, they expressed strong antipathy toward Quiles. Abubaker Mohamed Mohamed, a 27-year-old security guard, said, "We are the ones who put Ceuta in order, so are you saying we now have to take to the streets for him?"
Far-right politicians also made back-to-back visits to Ceuta. According to CNN, Santiago Abascal, leader of Vox, Spain's largest far-right party, visited Ceuta that day and labeled the surging influx of migrants an "invasion," criticizing the Spanish government by saying, "The borders of Ceuta and Melilla are the ramparts of our hometown and homeland, but a corrupt and treacherous government is failing to defend them."
Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the People's Party, Spain's main opposition, also visited Ceuta on June 1 and described the situation as an "occupation" of the city, criticizing Prime Minister Sánchez. Alvise Pérez, a far-right Spanish politician and member of the European Parliament with 700,000 followers, likewise visited Ceuta and called for the expulsion of migrants. Pérez left the scene under police protection after facing a strong backlash from residents.
Ceuta, along with Spain's other autonomous city Melilla, is the only area where a European Union (EU) member state shares a land border with an African country. Because of this geographic feature, Africans have historically entered frequently, and Ceuta has a significant number of residents of migrant origin. As a result, many residents harbor resentment toward far-right politicians' anti-immigration slogans.
The NYT said, "Even if the immediate crisis has somewhat eased, the political fallout appears to be growing," adding, "In the past few days, opposition leaders and far-right politicians have visited Ceuta one after another, defining the situation as evidence that Prime Minister Sánchez has lost control of the border and expanding it into a political clash over immigration and national identity."
The fallout from the Ceuta situation is affecting immigration policies across Europe beyond Spain. Some EU member states have tightened border controls out of concern that those who entered illegally through Ceuta could spread across the European continent. Italy, which has been strengthening immigration enforcement, announced it would suspend application of the Schengen Agreement, which guarantees free movement among Spain and EU member states, for one month.
CNN reported, "This humanitarian crisis, triggered by a sudden influx of people, has reignited debates over immigration in Europe and around the world."