Spain is further strengthening its military presence in Ceuta. More than 150 soldiers from the Canary Islands Command will join the units already deployed in the city following the mass arrival of migrants from Morocco in late July.
Some people recruited in Morocco to leave the country sometimes pay thousands of euros to obtain legal work in Italy. Once they are in debt, some discover that the promised job does not exist and become dependent on the same intermediaries who arranged their arrival.
France now records more deaths than births. In the short term, its population would continue to grow only thanks to net migration. A major shift, as Morocco remains the second country of birth of new immigrants arriving in France .
U.S. authorities granted 90 “paroles” to Moroccan nationals encountered at the border with Mexico between October 2018 and May 2025. This procedure allowed them to enter the United States temporarily without constituting a regular admission to the country.
Living in France since 1989, a Moroccan man wanted to bring his wife over under the family reunification procedure. Despite having a permanent employment contract, monthly resources of 2,093 euros and sufficiently spacious accommodation, his application was rejected. One detail concerning his apartment had notably worked against him.
Bilal was preparing to leave Morocco legally to marry Claudia in Argentina. Convinced that a detour through Spain would make his journey easier, he swam to Sebta. Two weeks later, the young Moroccan is mainly looking for a way to return home .
Bilal worked in Fnideq before heading to Ceuta during the recent wave of crossings. Trained in mechanics, he hoped to find better prospects there. Once there, however, even some Moroccan employers refused to hire him.
Tahar Ben Jelloun says he cannot understand how tens of thousands of young people were able to head toward Ceuta without being stopped earlier by Moroccan law enforcement. For the writer, the strength of the security apparatus is precisely what makes this episode difficult to explain.
After the Ceuta crisis , several analysts believe that Rabat’s proximity to Washington is bolstering Morocco’s confidence in its dealings with Spain and a Europe dependent on its cooperation on migration. However, no public evidence demonstrates any coordination with the Trump administration.
In Ceuta, Sabah Hamed has turned her home into a humanitarian aid point. She receives around 400 migrants there every day, the vast majority of them Moroccan, offering them food, clean clothes and the chance to wash.
The special procedure allowing certain undocumented immigrants working in a shortage occupation to obtain a residence permit does not directly apply to Moroccans. Their situation remains governed by the 1987 Franco-Moroccan agreement, the courts have just confirmed.
Morocco’s ageing population will increase the need for home assistance and long-term care. According to the CESE, foreign workers could complement national skills, provided these professions are professionalised and decent jobs are guaranteed.