In short
The episode explains the mass migrant crossing into Ceuta (Spanish territory in North Africa) after social media and media reports that the border was open. Topic: events in Ceuta, how migrants were treated, local reactions, and the EU political fallout.
Guests
Javier Jennings-Mozo, an audiovisual journalist reporting from Ceuta since last Saturday; Jennifer Rankin, The Guardian’s Brussels correspondent.
Key claims
around 72,000 crossed by Friday; about 72 died; Moroccan “guards just opened the door” and told people to run; Spanish Guardia Civil initially helped people out of the water, but later some were beaten. Locals are split between compassion and hostility; military heritage in Ceuta fuels right-wing ideology.
Notable examples
Youssef, a computer engineer deported from Spain in 2019, trying to return to Bilbao; Malika and Fatima discussing humanitarian protocols. EU response includes Italy suspending Schengen with Spain; possible Russian disinformation is investigated.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOThe Massive Migration to Ceuta
1:24 to 4:00
A recount of the recent surge of migrants arriving in Ceuta from Morocco.
“By now, you'll probably know it's a territory in North Africa that's been part of Spain since the 1600s.”
Understanding Ceuta's Unique Culture
4:00 to 6:12
A discussion on Ceuta's cultural identity and how locals perceive themselves.
“You're an audiovisual journalist and you've been in Ceuta since last Saturday.”
Reasons Behind the Migrant Crossing
6:12 to 7:39
Insights into the motivations and desperation driving migrants to cross into Spain.
“And in Ceuta, you will hear the people telling you Ceuta is united and this is what we are.”
Initial Reception of Migrants in Ceuta
7:39 to 10:05
Exploration of how migrants were treated upon their arrival in Ceuta.
“And we were talking to a lot of people from Sudan, from Egypt, from Yemen, from Nigeria, some Syrians as well.”
Local Responses to the Migrant Crisis
10:05 to 12:09
Local reactions and efforts to assist migrants amid the crisis in Ceuta.
“injured his legs, injured his arm, injured him in many different places.”
Political Exploitation of the Situation
12:09 to 14:00
The involvement of far-right groups and political tensions emerging from the crisis.
“Javier, this story, for obvious reasons, has really caught global attention and just blown up online.”
Ceuta Crisis: Blame and Strategy
14:00 to 16:03
Explore the accusations against Morocco and Spain's careful diplomatic navigation.
“Most of the people that I talk to, they straight up blame Morocco.”
Disinformation and EU Response
16:03 to 18:13
Understanding the role of disinformation in escalating the Ceuta situation and EU's reaction.
“You're the Brussels correspondent for The Guardian.”
Spain's Migration Policy and EU Tensions
18:13 to 21:08
Delve into Spain's unique stance on migration and the backlash from other EU nations.
“We had some very tough language from Italy, from Denmark, who called very quickly for a suspension of the EU's free movement rules with Spain.”
Future of EU Migration Policy
21:08 to 24:46
Discuss the implications of the Ceuta events on the EU's migration policy direction.
“Albeit that actually many other governments have similar measures in place, albeit under different names and on a smaller scale.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Jennifer Rankin:This is The Guardian.
0:09Jennifer Rankin:Today, in the aftermath, on the ground in Ceuta.
0:18Jennifer Rankin:Today in Focus is supported by Paramount+. This isn't the end of a fight, it's the start of one. Lioness, the critically acclaimed original series from Taylor Sheridan, is now streaming only on Paramount+. In the new season, hidden networks, foreign operatives and personal betrayals collide. Meanwhile, Jo walks the line between duty and family as unseen forces circle her world, leaving her to reckon with a war that now reaches into every part of her life. Don't miss the new season of Lioness, starring Zoe Saldana and Michael Kelly, with Morgan Freeman and Nicole Kidman. Now streaming only on Paramount+.
1:16Jennifer Rankin:The images were just extraordinary. The numbers, I couldn't wrap my head round them. Last Thursday, people began swimming from Morocco to the city of Ceuta. By now, you'll probably know it's a territory in North Africa that's been part of Spain since the 1600s. Thousands, tens of thousands, were pictured in the sea, some with floats and life jackets, most with little more than what they were wearing. By Friday, an estimated 72 ,000 migrants had crossed over
1:59Jennifer Rankin:Sliding down concrete barriers and swimming the five minutes around a jetty to make it Youssef, a father of four, was one of them
2:18Jennifer Rankin:He says he saw the news circulating on social media, that the border from Morocco to Spain was open. Hundreds of Facebook pages declared that if you wanted to emigrate, now was the time.
2:36Jennifer Rankin:Youssef is a computer engineer. He says he was deported from Spain several years ago, but his wife and daughters still live there. He is desperate to return to Bilbao, to the life that he'd built there for 14 years with his family.
3:03Jennifer Rankin:With no food, water or money, 70 ,000 of the people who came en masse last week have now left. An estimated 72 people died in horrific circumstances. Older bodies floating in the water, being pulled out by the young. But across Europe, a humanitarian crisis has become a political firestorm, with leaders demanding that Spain be frozen out of free movement between EU countries. Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Maloney, temporarily ousting Spain from the Schengen Agreement, which guarantees the free movement of people within Europe's borders. From The Guardian, I'm Noshin Iqbal. Today in Focus, what happens after Ceuta?
3:59Jennifer Rankin:Javier Jennings-Mozo, welcome to Today in Focus.
4:02Javier Jennings Mozo:Thank you so much for having me.
4:04Jennifer Rankin:You're an audiovisual journalist and you've been in Ceuta since last Saturday. Ceuta is located in North Africa on the northern coast of Morocco, about 12 miles from Spain with a population of around 80 ,000 people. What can you tell me about the culture and how people see themselves?
4:24Javier Jennings Mozo:Quite interesting, actually. Of the culture, I'd say it's very particular to Ceuta. So you would have an obvious influence of both countries, be it Morocco and Spain. I'd say 60 to 70 % of the population here are Muslims. However, they are Spanish. They do not feel Moroccan. They feel they're from Theuda specifically. When you talk to them, they tell you we're Spanish Muslims. And it's quite interesting because due to its geographic location, this city has always had a bit of a military culture and heritage in which most of the people that live here actually are members of the military or of the Guardia Civil or Policia Nacional.
5:06Javier Jennings Mozo:So I think this influence of the military culture and the military heritage sort of makes people drawn towards a right-wing ideology. You know, they're all very proud of symbols, of the Spanish flag, of the unity of Spain, of Spanish nationalism.
5:28Javier Jennings Mozo:One of the people that we talk to is Malika. She's a woman from Ceuta in her 50s. She's very proud of being from Ceuta and of this military heritage. She's very proud that her grandfather fought and helped defend the Spanish borders as a soldier with the Franco regime.
5:55Javier Jennings Mozo:And then that her father also was in the military. But then she verbally expressed that we are not racist here in Ceuta.
6:12Javier Jennings Mozo:And in Ceuta, you will hear the people telling you Ceuta is united and this is what we are. We are military families that defend the Spanish borders, but we are Muslims.
6:25Jennifer Rankin:Javier, from all the interviews you've done and the conversations you've been having in Ceuta in the last week, what have people told you about why they made this crossing?
6:35Javier Jennings Mozo:I think there's a lot of, not misunderstanding, but lack of nuance in terms of how we look at this generally. When it comes down to the migrants, which is who are the people that were the main focus of our story, this changes a lot. People are simply in need and they will take any chance they get to better their lives, you know.
7:03Javier Jennings Mozo:And Yusuf, the main character of our story, actually told us that he had been deported from Spain in 2019 after living in Bilbao, and they're also in Spain, for 14 years because he had lost his job, so he had lost his residency.
7:20Jennifer Rankin:After the seven days, he had no sleep.
7:23Javier Jennings Mozo:He simply decided that this was his chance of recovering, getting back the life he had once had, since his four daughters and his wife are still in Bilbao. This is how I can continue to improve my life,
7:36Jennifer Rankin:the most difficult to improve my family. To improve my life, the goal is to improve my life.
7:45Javier Jennings Mozo:And we were talking to a lot of people from Sudan, from Egypt, from Yemen, from Nigeria, some Syrians as well. These people have been waiting in Morocco for seven months, a year and a half, two years for a chance like this to cross into Europe and claim asylum. Therefore, any chance that they get, they're going to take. It's really desperation and it's really need what prompted people to cross. Then, of course, the news that, you know, the the border was open, were circulated firstly on social media, I believe, according to what everyone told us. And Yusuf did mention that Moroccan regime-sponsored media were also circulating the news and all of this.
8:28Javier Jennings Mozo:So I think it was a mix of media and social media.
8:31Jennifer Rankin:And how were the people that you spoke to treated when they arrived?
8:36Javier Jennings Mozo:It's quite interesting because the treatment changed from the first day to the days after. All of them mentioned that, first of all, from the Moroccan side, the guards just opened the door and they told them, run, run, run, go, go, go, get into Spain. Vervily told them that. Then once in Spain, after swimming for those five minutes that are sort of around the Spanish side of the border, they said that the Guardia Civil actually aided them to get out of the water and allowed them in. So the treatment was pretty good in terms of Spanish authorities. Then, of course, a mass influx of people into a city of 85 ,000 people.
9:16Javier Jennings Mozo:It creates tensions and unrest among the local people. Some of them understood the needs. Some of them tried to help them out. Others were quite violent and hostile towards them. And as the days went by, authorities started gathering people, leading them back into Morocco. Basically, as time went by, the manners in which this was happening turned more violent. Yusef told us that the same hand that aided me later on beat me up. So when he arrived, the Guardia Civil actually helped him, physically helped him out of the water. But those same Spanish authorities that had helped him, a couple of days later, the military saw him on the street and beat him up with a baton, injured his legs, injured his arm, injured him in many different places.
10:18Jennifer Rankin:And Javier, from speaking to locals, Sueton locals over the last few days, what have they told you about how they responded to the tens of thousands of people suddenly arriving on the streets?
10:29Javier Jennings Mozo:Most of them are very compassionate towards these migrants. Most of them are helping them out the way they can.
10:44Javier Jennings Mozo:When we spoke to Malika, she was understanding that there's kids, there's minors, there's underage children that crossed here, just trying to look for a better life, you know, search for a better life. and a lot of people in extremely dire conditions crossing into the city. So she was helping out as much as she could. We also spoke to Fatima, who's a member, an MP at the Ceuta Assembly. And she was basically telling us about the need for, you know, having more human migration laws and protocols that do not dehumanize the people that come here, but rather establish a bit of a direct collaboration between the Sudan authorities and the central government.
11:34Javier Jennings Mozo:Extreme cases like these happen, but they also are very aware of the limitations. So they basically need help in terms of how to deal with something like this. They do not want this to be an excuse for political discourse, but they do want this to become a reason for mainland Spain to take Ceuta and Melilla by extent more seriously in terms of the needs.
12:09Jennifer Rankin:Javier, this story, for obvious reasons, has really caught global attention and just blown up online. We've seen the images and videos on social media. And we've also seen what looks like right-wing and neo-Nazi agitators, for instance, arriving in Ceuta. Why are they there? And how are they exploiting the situation?
12:27Javier Jennings Mozo:It was very interesting when we arrived because we were in the ferry boat that a lot of the people that were, you know, there present with us were either Moroccans or Ceutans going back to Ceuta. And about 40 to 50 % were far-right agitators that we actually recognized. I was sitting there, I was looking at this guy, I was just thinking, his face rings a bell. I think this guy is Alviza Perez, which is a Spanish far-right member of the European Parliament, even though he doesn't like to call himself that because he presents himself as anti-establishment. And we got confirmation that this was indeed this person.
13:09Javier Jennings Mozo:As soon as we left the boat, we saw a group of like 50 people from Ceuta bearing the Spanish flag and all of these Spanish symbols and just rushing and surrounding this guy and the people he was with, all the security people he was with, very passionately shouting at him. You're not welcome here. We are Spanish. We are Muslim. We are proud of our country. We are proud of our borders and we are the ones who are going to be defending them. You are not going to tell us. And you are for sure not going to come here and gain political points for yourself.
13:56Jennifer Rankin:There has been this consistently strong suggestion that Morocco deliberately let people through last week and may have encouraged them to do so. Why would that be the case? And what's the truth in it?
14:07Javier Jennings Mozo:Most of the people that I talk to, they straight up blame Morocco. They see this as a strategy from the kingdom and the regime to exert pressure on the Spanish borders. There's no official account of this being true. But what is true is that Spain has always had to manage the relations with Algeria and Morocco very, very carefully. Because when Spain gets closer to Algeria, be it for gas deals or any sort of deals, this angers Morocco that has it very easily to respond like this and exert pressure. And this theory seems credible because, you know, it's not just an isolated event. In 2021, Morocco actually opened the border and allowed around 10 ,000 people to cross into Ceuta as well.
14:57Javier Jennings Mozo:I think it was a bit of a test of how much this strategy of using migrants would work. And Pedro Sánchez was in Algiers less than two weeks ago, had a meeting over there. So this could be an explanation. Absolutely. Officially, the Spanish government have called this an attack on Spain's sovereignty, but they have not pointed the finger at Morocco because, again, they have to navigate these relations very carefully. So yeah, the official narrative actually had to do with Spain saying that mafias were responsible of this. But honestly, I don't think the mafias have the capacity.
15:41Jennifer Rankin:Coming up, how the events in Ceuta split the EU in two.
16:02Jennifer Rankin:Jennifer Rankin, welcome to Today in Focus. Thank you for having me. You're the Brussels correspondent for The Guardian. And a week on from this story, what do we actually know about what caused this huge rush of people into Suta on Thursday? The story is still emerging. The Spanish government says that a court decision that appeared to permit more people to stay in Ceuta was an impetus and was then amplified by disinformation and misinformation online. But this is still being investigated by Spanish authorities and also by Europol, the EU police force. And the EU's diplomatic service is also investigating a possible role that Russia might have played in amplifying disinformation.
16:53Jennifer Rankin:How so? Can you tell me a bit more about that? So this is stuff that's spreading on social media. The hypothesis is that Russia may have sought to amplify the crisis. Ukraine's foreign minister tweeted a few days ago that they had recorded 1 ,500 incidents of Russian disinformation. They said a fifth of those were in Spanish, but it was part of a coordinated campaign to sow disinformation across Europe. But we haven't had any independent confirmation of that. But certainly it fits into a pattern of Russia seeking to amplify European disunity and also play on anything that seems to suggest uncontrolled migration.
Read the full transcript
17:34Jennifer Rankin:And how have EU countries broadly responded to the situation? I think it's worth stressing the Spanish response, first of all, that Spain was very quick to send in the army to start building a barrier in the sea to reinforce what is already a very fortified border. And it's worth bearing that in mind when we consider the response from the rest of the EU, because as those very dramatic pictures began to circulate on social media and to go viral, several EU countries attacked Spain with a very critical reaction of what they saw as completely uncontrolled migration and a breakdown of border controls.
18:13Jennifer Rankin:We had some very tough language from Italy, from Denmark, who called very quickly for a suspension of the EU's free movement rules with Spain.
18:23Javier Jennings Mozo:Spain is under mounting pressure tonight to tighten its border controls. Italy has now suspended freedom of movement with Spain, closing its air and sea borders in a rare use of emergency powers.
18:36Jennifer Rankin:which in turn triggered a very strong line of attack from Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez who criticised what he saw as policies and responses that he said were motivated by fake news and prejudice. And this is despite the fact that migrants in Ceuta, they haven't got there and they would not have automatic access into mainland Spain? Not at all because Ceuta and the other Spanish territory in North Africa, Melilla, These are outside the EU Schengen free movement area. So anyone crossing from these territories to mainland Europe would have to show a password or a visa. So there's no automatic right of entry.
19:16Jennifer Rankin:Jennifer, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called the reaction of some EU countries as selfish, polarising and unlawful. Now, Spain is something of an outlier when it comes to migration policy in Europe. Can you explain why and what part that might have potentially in how events are playing out? I think a lot of EU member states are concerned and angry about a policy announced by Pedro Sanchez's government earlier this year to regularise the status of many migrants and asylum seekers. So early in the year, the Sanchez government said they wanted to regularize the status of half a million undocumented migrants.
20:02Jennifer Rankin:We now know that nearly 1.2 million people have applied for this status. And that set off alarm bells ringing throughout the rest of Europe. And we saw over the weekend, very, very strikingly, that 22 of the 27 member states signed a letter where they criticized this policy from Spain, arguing that it was a pull factor for, quote, illegal migration. The EU commissioner responsible for migration in the bloc says the policy is not helpful for Europe. I do understand that Spain did it because it's mainly about Latin Americans speaking the same language, having the same culture, but the signal for the rest of Europe is not a good one.
20:42Jennifer Rankin:Definitely not. And yet we know from academic researchers that there is no clear there's no link between such regularization schemes and increasing numbers of migration. But nonetheless, for many governments, it just seems to be an irresistible argument. And they are concerned that once more people are regularized in Spain, they see it as opening the door to more migration into their countries. Albeit that actually many other governments have similar measures in place, albeit under different names and on a smaller scale. So it's something that a lot of member states do, but Spain does it loudly and proudly.
21:23Jennifer Rankin:And it says it's doing it for humanitarian reasons and for labour market reasons as well.
21:41Jennifer Rankin:So Jennifer, on Tuesday morning, there was this meeting of EU interior ministers in response to events in Souta. What do we know about what was discussed? So this meeting, I think, was seen by many ministers as a chance to turn the page on what had been a very bitter and acrimonious set of exchanges over the weekend.
22:02Javier Jennings Mozo:European solidarity is at the heart of the European project in Spain and its people can of course count on the enduring support of the Commission.
22:14Jennifer Rankin:There was a lot of talk of solidarity and how other member states were there for Spain and wanted to support and help Spain. But at the same time, there's also a policy response as well. And for many member states, they also want to underline, we want stronger European borders and also to advance policies that they already support. So notably, we saw Italy's governments calling for offshore migration centers, essentially places where people's asylum claims can be processed outside of Europe. And once upon a time, maybe 10 years ago, this was a very controversial idea in Europe. It was seen as something totally incompatible with European values.
22:57Jennifer Rankin:But earlier this year, the EU changed its legal framework, allowing these offshore return hubs or migration centres to be set up in countries outside Europe. And now we know that at least five countries, maybe six, are currently hoping to set up such offshore centres. And how has the story been received beyond Europe? And I'm thinking particularly in the US. It was very striking that Donald Trump very quickly seized on this. You know, I saw Spain yesterday and I watched the catastrophe that took place. It was a it looks like an invasion of a country by hundreds of thousands of people. And that same thing is going to happen to us if the Republicans don't get elected, except worse.
23:44Jennifer Rankin:So very clearly using this as political capital. And of course, he's facing midterms later this year, but also with an eye to the next presidential election. And then we saw the MAGA faithful piling it as well.
23:56Javier Jennings Mozo:The socialists' agenda, their platform literally says they want to abolish borders, abolish immigration enforcement, have complete freedom of movement.
24:04Jennifer Rankin:This is what it looks like in another country if they get what they want. So that's what we call a pull factor, Sandra. Elon Musk also weighing in. So I think for the MAGA movement, these images above all provide... It's ammunition. Exactly. Exactly. Ammunition for the story they want to tell about Europe, which is that Europe is really overwhelmed by, quote, uncontrolled migration and left wing so-called elites not listening to the people. So this very much was used as ammunition for that argument. Jennifer, the situation in Ceuta seems to be this remarkable flashpoint when it comes to understanding the broader issues around global refugees and around migration.
24:45Jennifer Rankin:You know, in the last decade or so, European migration policy has been described as this kind of fortress Europe approach, you know, building walls, patrolling the seas. Do you think there's any chance that after these events that there will be a rethink in Brussels about this, that, you know, maybe people will always find a way to come to Europe and there needs to be a bit of thought about how to do that fairly and safely? I think the EU is very much set on the path that it embarked on nearly 10 years ago, following the arrival of more than one million asylum seekers in 2015 and 16. And that is to close the doors, tighten the borders.
25:29Jennifer Rankin:And we've seen over the last few years a significant tightening and hardening of EU asylum and migration policy. and I think this approach is only going to increase. This is very much the direction of travel for most EU member states, not all. Spain is an outlier here. France is also an outlier, but for the majority of member states, they're definitely looking for a tougher approach to managing asylum and migration. Jennifer, thank you so much for your time. Thank you very much. That was The Guardian's Brussels correspondent, Jennifer Rankin, and Javier Jennings-Mozo, who has been reporting on the ground from Sayuta for The Guardian with Akbar Mohammed.
26:14Jennifer Rankin:My thanks to all of them. You can read their coverage of this story and more, including a column from Jonathan Liu, which I'd really recommend. It's titled, Sayuta was a carnival of anti-migrant content for hateful opportunists on the right and a lesson for the left. All of that at theguardian.com. And that's it for today. This episode was presented by me, Noshin Ekbal. It was produced by Ivor Manley and Tom Glasser. Sound design is by Brian McNamara and the executive producer was Sammy Kent. We'll be back this afternoon with the latest.
26:57Jennifer Rankin:This is The Guardian.
