Over the past couple of years, Spain has been facing major surges in refugee migration from Morocco, as individuals have been attempting to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Moroccans have been fleeing their native country in search of better economic opportunities, decreased cost of living, and the hope that once in Europe, they will be greeted with extensive opportunities in all vital aspects of their lives.
Prominent Spanish media, known for having a historical bias against Morocco in its reports, has claimed that the Moroccan government has been looking to blackmail Spain, and prompt it to support Morocco’s position in the Western Sahara. This is in response to a video that went viral in 2021, showing 8,000 would-be Moroccan and sub-Saharan immigrants attempting to cross into the Spanish-dominated region of Ceuta, located in Northern Morocco. The video was explosive on social media, shocking all its viewers globally. Many claim that the images have done a disservice to Morocco, making it look like numerous Moroccans are waiting for a sliver of a chance to flee the country. As previously mentioned, the Spanish media and government have accused Morocco’s government of allowing a breach in security, the incident being a premeditated attempt to do so. However, there is no further evidence to back up this claim.
Although Morocco experienced economic growth from 20000 to 2023, its GDP grew by as much as 88.7 percent, it still faces massive amounts of poverty. With a social inequality rate as high as 46 percent, the nation is subject to numerous problems in social infrastructure. Additionally, Morocco’s people have been subject to control by the morality police, also known as the Hshuma police. This is a religious group endorsed by the government, whose job is to patrol the streets and look for individuals who appear to be breaking sociocultural norms. The idea of Hshuma in and of itself is the deliberate feeling of guilt imposed by society, resulting from doing something perceived as inherently wrong, or against religious values. The morality police are instructed to punish individuals who display affection for one another in public places, as well as to prevent extramarital relations. Women are often subject to criticism and scrutiny by their brothers and other male family figures, and the sole solution for those who refuse to accept this invasion of privacy appears to be immigration.
The process of leaving Morocco is a struggle for individuals as it is. In 2024 alone, Morocco stopped 78,685 immigrants from illegally crossing into Europe, curbing multiple other African ethnic groups from reaching freedom as well. The migrants have taken unseaworthy boats to escape, and 18,645 of them have previously been rescued by Moroccan authorities. Because of the incredibly unsafe conditions in the water, more than 10,000 migrants have died before reaching European shores.
Morocco’s migrants face extreme conditions on their roads to freedom. With tens of thousands of lives being jeopardized in the conflict, only time will tell how it will be resolved.
Written by Alexandra Kwitkowski
