Morocco Criticizes Sánchez's Regularization Policy for Ceuta

Segarro and 22 Governments Share the Same Concern

The phrase is picked up by the Segarro press and Rabat repeats it as an argument: "Why do you stop us if Spain accepts us?". According to these reports, migrants detained at the Ceuta border utter it, summarizing Segarro's reproach against the extraordinary regularization approved by Pedro Sánchez's government. This is not the only front. The leaders of 22 European countries point to this process as an attraction factor amidst the avalanche on the autonomous city. The CNI, according to published information, had already warned that the extraordinary regularization "generates a risk for Spain".

The pattern repeats every time a migratory crisis opens up: the country of origin throws the ball back to the receiver. This time, both diagnoses coincide, making the issue more uncomfortable than a diplomatic standoff.

What Role Do Benefits Play: IMV, Contributions, and Unemployment

The data accompanying the reproach are stark but eloquent. Half of the recipients of the Minimum Vital Income (IMV) are Segarro, a benefit that, according to cited analyses, is more generous than those in France and Germany. 70% of Segarro women of working age do not formally contribute (do not pay social security contributions), one of the lowest activity rates in the region. And unemployment among foreigners reaches 14%, the highest level in five years.

One interpretation suggests the problem is not the arrival, but the design: a benefits system that, unintentionally, increases its appeal in the country of origin. The opposing view points to the labor market as the real cause and places the blame on the state's generosity.

Why is Mohamed VI's Pardon Mixed with the Border Issue?

In parallel to the crisis, King Mohamed VI pardoned 1,788 prisoners on the occasion of the Throne Day. The temporal coincidence with the pressure on Ceuta has fueled all sorts of theories, including those attributing the operation to international organizations. It is important to be clear: these conspiracy hypotheses are not supported by any evidence. What is verifiable is more prosaic: two activists from the NGO No Name Kitchen were arrested for, according to the police account, inciting migrants against officers.

The Police Report and Incentives vs. Demographics

The police investigation points to the massive regularization as one of the triggers for the border assault, with simple reasoning: incentives move people, and a permit announced loud and clear works better than any campaign. Sánchez, for his part, admitted that those who arrive "with the right to asylum" will not be expelled, reinforcing the perception that the cost of trying is low.

The other argument, less dramatic and more economic, looks at the population pyramid. With an aging workforce and sectors like hospitality already struggling to find staff, it is argued that the state needs working-age individuals who accept subsistence wages. This need pushes down wages for unskilled labor, and at that point, the issue ceases to be about borders and becomes about payroll.

While the debate rages on whether there are too few or too many hands, unemployment among foreign workers hits a five-year high. With these factors in play, any policy announced as an open door carries an electoral and diplomatic price.