Spain struggles to assert border control with the UK and Morocco
Spain has removed land border controls between its territory and British-owned Gibraltar against European Union rules, report Spanish newspaper El Confidencial on 12th May.
A new treaty between Spain and the UK, coming into application on 15th July, allowing for a fluid border for the thousands of people who cross into Spain daily for work. For visitors entering Gibraltar by boat or plane, routine custom and police checks will remain in place, processed by both British and European authorities.
Gibraltar officially left the European Union in 2020 along with the UK, but its status remained undetermined due to its strategic location between Europe and Africa. The new agreement will facilitate the travels of citizens on both sides, with Gibraltar being effectively included in the border-free Schengen area.
Allegedly under pressure from the UK and Gibraltar’s leadership, Spain has issued new guidance to allow free movement to and from Gibraltar for the past few months, in advance of the agreement and against current EU legislation, causing some Spanish commentators of accusing the country of “laxity“.
In addition, Spain is struggling to assert control of its borders with Morocco, after a 2022 deal was meant to formalize and simplify the transit of goods between the Kingdom and the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in Northern Morocco. However, Moroccan authorities are reportedly causing long delays at custom posts, forcing residents to queue for hours. Complaints have been made to Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, but Spain has not addressed the issue so far.
Ceuta, located directly opposite the Strait of Gibraltar, is also under great pressure from migrants trying to cross into European territory, causing tensions. Several deaths have been reported since the beginning of 2026, although joint efforts from Moroccan and Spanish authorities have reportedly reduced illegal immigration by 42.6% in 2025. Morocco has also intensified raids against Sub-Saharan migrants, with hundreds arrested and forcibly deported. The Kingdom is increasingly acting as Europe’s unofficial border force, resulting in many human rights violations with migrants being abandoned in border zones.
However, Morocco has received criticism in Spain for not doing enough to curb illegal immigration, with reports that Ceuta has actually seen a 330% increase in migrants’ arrival since the beginning of 2026.
El Confidencial, Mahgrebi.org
Want to chase the pulse of North Africa?
Subscribe to receive our FREE weekly PDF magazine
