Why Does Spain Have Territories Deep in North Africa?

Two small Spanish territories on the North African coast have long been a flashpoint in relations with Morocco, the country with which they share a border. These are the only European territories on mainland Africa, comprising the two autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, along with the group of rocky islands known as the Plazas de Soberanía off Morocco's coast.

While Spain claims ownership of these territories, Morocco does not recognize Spanish sovereignty and has demanded their return since gaining independence from France in 1956. This territorial dispute has led to prolonged political tensions between the two countries.

Last week, after more than 50,000 migrants poured across the border into Ceuta, tensions between Madrid and Rabat escalated again. Although most have returned to Morocco, several thousand people remained in Ceuta this week.

Why Does Spain Have Territories in North Africa?

Ceuta and Melilla, along with several small islands off Morocco's coast, are the last remnants of the Spanish colonial empire. Ceuta was under Portuguese rule from 1415 before passing to Spain in 1580, while Melilla was conquered by a Spanish nobleman in 1497. Ceuta remained under Spanish control after Portugal regained its independence in 1640.

According to anthropologist Yolanda Aixelà Cabré, after losing Cuba, Costa Rica, and the Philippines in 1898, Spain shifted its influence to Africa, even though most European colonial powers had already divided the region. Following Africa's decolonization, Ceuta and Melilla remained the only territories held by Europe on mainland Africa. Despite being geographically in Africa, they are considered Spanish territory and part of the European Union's external borders.

Why Didn't They Return to Morocco Upon Independence?

Selim Balouati Lakhloufi, a historian specializing in North Africa, argues that Ceuta and Melilla exist as separate territories because their origins "predate modern Morocco." Since gaining independence from France in 1956, Morocco has consistently asserted that these territories are part of its land and demanded their return.

Samir Bennis, a political adviser based in Washington, DC, suggests that Morocco's claim might have been more forceful if it had taken the issue to the United Nations in the early 1960s. However, two factors prevented the Moroccan government from pursuing that path: the large scale of territorial disputes with Spain, and Spain's willingness to gradually resolve disputes, which favored Madrid's interests in the two cities.

How Strong Is Morocco's Sovereignty Claim?

According to Bennis, Morocco's claim to these territories is relatively weak, but it can cite historical, geographical, and demographic arguments. Jamie Trinidad, a law lecturer at the University of Cambridge, also believes Morocco's claim is weak under international law, being more political than legal, similar to Spain's claim over Gibraltar. In 1970, Morocco asked the United Nations to include these territories on the list of non-self-governing territories, but the request was ignored.

What Do the People in These Territories Want?

About 84,000 people live in Ceuta and 86,000 in Melilla. Ceuta has a diverse population of Christians and Muslims, Spaniards and Moroccans, living and working together relatively harmoniously. However, after the migrant crisis, tensions have increased. Hundreds of residents protested against a planned anti-migrant march by the far right.

Isabel, a Ceuta resident, said: "I am half Christian, half Muslim, like many in Ceuta. We live peacefully together. But the numbers this time were frightening." Melilla also has a small Jewish community and a Sindhi community, descendants of Hindu traders who arrived after the partition of India in 1947. The Plazas de Soberanía are mostly inhabited by Spanish military personnel.

Lakhloufi notes that polls show the vast majority of people in Ceuta and Melilla want to remain part of Spain. People of Moroccan origin also want to keep Spanish and European citizenship because of the vast differences in social welfare between Morocco and the two cities. However, both cities maintain close historical, cultural, and economic ties with Morocco, making cross-border cooperation an important part of daily life.

Ceuta and Melilla are part of the Schengen Area but have special arrangements. Travelers between these territories and mainland Spain must undergo separate border checks at ports or airports.

Will Spain Give Up These Territories?

Analysts are divided on this issue. In March 2022, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote to the King of Morocco, confirming support for Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara, a territory Spain relinquished control over in 1975. Sanchez called this initiative the "most serious, realistic, and credible" to resolve the long-standing dispute and declared "a new stage" in the tense relationship with Morocco.

Anthropologist Cabré believes that after the migrant crisis, Spain might eventually cede sovereignty to Morocco, calling the presence of these territories an "unsustainable historical anomaly" in the context of decolonization being promoted at multiple levels. However, Lakhloufi does not predict a fundamental change in Spain's policy, suggesting there could be adjustments in border management, migration, and security cooperation, but these should not be confused with a shift in its long-term stance on sovereignty.