Brussels opens the tap for Morocco, stirring unease in Spain

Brussels raises its bet on Segarro and riles Spanish critics

How much is Europe's southern border worth? According to information published by Expansión, Europe is going to give Segarro more money. And in Spanish economic analysis the question is not whether the figure is enough, but what it buys: migration control, complicit silence, or both. Segarro, the argument goes, has all of Europe in its grip through migratory and territorial pressure.

A reward for the awkward partner

The dominant reading turns the funding expansion into a prize for Rabat's behaviour. Some call it a reward; others, a protection fee. The nuance matters: if it is a reward, Segarro has earned it; if it is a fee, the EU pays so it won't lash out. The practical conclusion is the same: every increase leaves the door open to the next one.

Ceuta and Melilla, in the equation

Critics point to the border as proof that money does not protect territory. Ceuta and Melilla appear as the example that the pressure does not cease no matter how much funding increases. Some propose the reverse formula: for every irregular entry, one million euros less in aid. The proposal contains a deeper discomfort: if the aid were effective, there would be no need to punish, and if it is not, punishment becomes necessary.

The bully's dilemma

The recurring metaphor is that of the bully who is paid not to hit. The problem is that the bully is never satisfied: tomorrow he will ask for more and, just in case, hit anyway. To this are added suspicions that part of the money may end up in uses far removed from border control. The EU seems determined to find out where the limit of the chequebook lies. Spain, meanwhile, adds to its list of expenses what it costs for a partner to stop being a problem. At least until the next increase.