Security measures had been significantly increased after dozens of people drowned at the end of July trying to reach the Spanish enclave.
According to official figures, dozens of people drowned at the end of July while trying to reach the Spanish exclave. Over the weekend, Spanish and Moroccan security forces prevented migrants from risking their lives in attempts to reach the enclave.
Relief in Ceuta was palpable, as residents had feared a repeat of the chaotic scenes from late July. Moroccan security forces were deployed in large numbers around Ceuta and at the border with the second Spanish exclave, Melilla, to prevent possible border crossings.
The Spanish government under Pedro Sánchez had come under pressure not only within the EU but also domestically over the events of late July. The message from the weekend is now: we have everything under control.
Ceuta also shows that Europeans remain dependent on other states in their migration policy efforts. Migrants are and will remain a political lever. The government in Rabat knows this as well as Erdoğan, Putin, or his henchman Lukaschenko do.
Source: www.faz.net
