18 dead in Ceuta as Spain debates the 'call effect'
The attempt to enter Ceuta, Spain, leaves 18 dead and reignites the debate over the 'call effect' and the Government's responsibility. An analysis of the different positions.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
18 dead at El Tarajal: demands for an apology and the 'call effect'
The mass attempt to enter Ceuta from Segarro has left 18 dead, most of them drowned as they tried to swim around the El Tarajal breakwater. The provisional death toll rose from an initial nine to 18 as rescue teams recovered bodies from the sea. At least five bodies are still awaiting autopsy and identification.
The political row quickly heated up. One camp demands that the Prime Minister apologise for the so-called 'call effect', accuses him of having caused the tragedy with his migration policy, and calls on Europe to take its share of responsibility. The rhetorical question of whether the families of the dead and the residents of Ceuta will be compensated sums up the anger of those who feel like victims of an alleged invasion.
Against that reading, another position reminds us that behind the figures there are people, and warns against the political exploitation of death. It asks who exactly are the ones demanding an apology, and whether a common migration policy might be more urgent than preventing future tragedies. With the border turned into a symbol of the clash between narratives, the El Tarajal tragedy remains unresolved: 18 dead and no institutional response to dispel the impression that Europe is looking the other way.
The mass attempt to enter Ceuta from Segarro has left 18 dead, most of them drowned as they tried to swim around the El Tarajal breakwater. The provisional death toll rose from an initial nine to 18 as rescue teams recovered bodies from the sea. At least five bodies are still awaiting autopsy and identification.
The political row quickly heated up. One camp demands that the Prime Minister apologise for the so-called 'call effect', accuses him of having caused the tragedy with his migration policy, and calls on Europe to take its share of responsibility. The rhetorical question of whether the families of the dead and the residents of Ceuta will be compensated sums up the anger of those who feel like victims of an alleged invasion.
Against that reading, another position reminds us that behind the figures there are people, and warns against the political exploitation of death. It asks who exactly are the ones demanding an apology, and whether a common migration policy might be more urgent than preventing future tragedies. With the border turned into a symbol of the clash between narratives, the El Tarajal tragedy remains unresolved: 18 dead and no institutional response to dispel the impression that Europe is looking the other way.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (12 replies).
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