The Ceuta border incident shows how EU migration can be ‘weaponised’ – but overall levels are declining

Over one night in late July, more than seventy thousand people crossed from Morocco into Spain's Ceuta enclave, mostly by swimming around the border fences — most have since returned. The Conversation reports the scale points to Moroccan authorities simply letting people through, a tactic researchers call the 'weaponisation' of migration, likely tied to friction with Spain over the disputed Western Sahara territory. Italy responded by suspending its free-movement agreement with Spain, even though most of those crossing had little interest in going there. Despite the spike, overall Mediterranean crossings into the EU are down sharply this year, continuing a multiyear decline.

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