Dirty WAR Against Europe Begins: New Globalist Migrant Crisis | Fethi

## Ceuta, Melilla, and migration rumors The mass crossing into Ceuta must be seen less as an isolated humanitarian incident and more as a symptom of converging political forces. In the span of days, tens of thousands moved toward a small Spanish enclave on the African shore of the Strait of Gibraltar — an event both logistically unlikely to be spontaneous and politically explosive. The geography is crucial: Ceuta and Melilla are centuries-old European outposts on African soil, points where Spanish sovereignty, Moroccan claims, and the daily flow of people collide. That physical closeness amplifies any migratory episode into a European problem overnight. The conversation makes clear that the narrative sweeping social media — that Spain was on the verge of regularizing anyone who reached Ceuta and thus inviting a flood into Europe — played directly into the mass movement. Legal and policy decisions in Spain earlier in the year, including a broad regularization of migrants and judgements about maritime entries, created fertile ground for rumor. Coupled with Morocco’s chronic youth unemployment and social pressures, these factors turned a rumor into a mobilizing story many young people found irresistible. The scale of the movement — tens of thousands converging in a short period — strains credulity as a purely bottom-up phenomenon. Historical precedent matters. A similar, smaller operation in 2021 followed Madrid’s decision to host a leader of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic; then, too, sudden mass crossings were interpreted as a Moroccan signal of displeasure. When patterns repeat in similar geopolitical contexts, the default scholarly posture must be cautious but probing: what looks spontaneous could be designed, and what looks local may have strategic intent. ## Was the border move organized? The operational evidence — videos of trucks, organized convoys, and reports of Moroccan security presence — feeds the hypothesis that the border surge was orchestrated. When thousands adopt the same direction at the same moment, the possibility of coordination cannot be dismissed as mere speculation. The argument advanced in the exchange is not that there is incontrovertible proof of a single mastermind, but that the confluence of social, political, and logistical elements points strongly toward orchestration. Political actors often weaponize migration because it moves at the intersection of humanitarian norms, border policy, and media spectacle. In this instance, social media amplified disinformation about Spain’s immigration policies just as organized transportation funneled people to the border. That combination produced a crisis that was both real in its human cost and politically useful for actors seeking leverage. Importantly, the speakers emphasize the domestic pressures inside Morocco — high youth unemployment, frustrated graduates, and a leadership eager to show results — as catalysts that make such maneuvers feasible. Organized or not, the tools to organize such movements exist on the ground and were deployed at an opportune moment. ## Israel, the US, and pressure on Spain The discussion moves quickly from local dynamics to international alignments. Several interlocutors cited public statements and policy papers from U.S. think tanks and political figures that normalize or even encourage pressure on Spanish control of enclaves. In parallel, some Israeli commentators have floated the idea that Ceuta and Melilla should be closer to Morocco — proposals that, taken together with U.S. signals, create an atmosphere where strategic normalizing of territorial realignment is entertained in policy circles. Spain’s vocal position on the war in Gaza and its refusal to facilitate some military and logistical uses of Spanish bases have not gone unnoticed. That pushback against Israel and its U.S. allies appears to make Madrid more vulnerable to pressure campaigns, diplomatic and otherwise. The speakers underscore that pressure is not always military; economic leverage, public diplomacy, and proxy coercion — including manipulation of migration flows — can serve as instruments to induce political realignment. Whether one calls it punitive or strategic, the idea that migration can function as a geopolitical lever is now part of the conversation. ## Gibraltar and the risk of a divided Europe The Strait of Gibraltar is a chokepoint with outsized significance. If access to the Mediterranean were constricted on other axes — through the Strait of Hormuz or Bab al-Mandeb, for example — Gibraltar remains the vital maritime gate. National control, access, and the political loyalty of littoral states therefore have implications for global logistics and security. The conversation raises a chilling scenario: that control of Gibraltar’s approaches could be used as leverage not only against Spain but against any European state that diverges from transatlantic priorities. This is not simply a threat of localized disruption. The fragmentation of Schengen, the reintroduction of internal border controls, and the political weaponization of migration could unravel the institutional fabric of European integration. The speakers point out that several European governments have already hinted at punitive measures against Spain, arguing it should be excluded from free-travel zones; such moves, if replicated, would signal the beginning of a cascading disintegration. The use of migration to split Europe would not only isolate national governments; it would weaken collective policy autonomy, making the EU less able to resist external geopolitical pressure. ## Spain, Algeria, and gas routes Energy geopolitics underpins much of the subtext. Spain’s relations with Algeria, a major gas supplier, have long been fraught and are easily weaponized. The speakers draw attention to the strategic importance of overland and maritime gas routes that converge around the western Mediterranean. Disruptions in diplomacy or transport can have immediate knock-on effects in energy supplies, a vulnerability that external actors are well aware of. Beyond direct supply concerns, the broader strategic contest with China and the United States’ push to consolidate alliances amplifies the stakes. A Europe with divided borders, compromised maritime channels, or governments beholden to external pressure will struggle to pursue independent energy strategies, whether in relation to Russian gas, Algerian deliveries, or alternative suppliers. In short, migration is not the only lever; energy dependencies and supply routes make Southern Europe especially susceptible to external influence campaigns. The interplay of migration, diplomacy, and pipelines creates a complex web of leverage points that actors can exploit. ## Why Morocco is close to Israel The Morocco-Israel rapprochement is more than a diplomatic anomaly; it is an alignment of mutual convenience. Morocco has pursued relations with Israel for reasons that include security cooperation, political legitimacy, and bolstering its international standing on contested issues like Western Sahara. From the Israeli perspective, Morocco’s strategic position abutting the Gulf of Gibraltar and its control of North African maritime approaches make it a valuable partner for maintaining Mediterranean access. The conversation underscores that these ties are not merely rhetorical. Intelligence-sharing, logistical support, and shared interests in curbing certain forms of pan-Arab or pan-African mobilization make the partnership operational. When viewed through this lens, Moroccan proximity to Israel explains why actions originating in Rabat could serve broader regional strategic objectives. The Morocco-Israel relationship also provides political cover for policies that risk alienating local populations; external strategic benefits can trump domestic legitimacy concerns for regimes that prioritize survival and regional influence. ## Morocco’s risky regime gamble At

Dirty WAR Against Europe Begins: New Globalist Migrant Crisis | Fethi The elites that brought to you a war Russia and a Genozide in West Asia are working on their next project: the break up of Europe. And they are beginning with an indirect attack on another maritime live-line, the Straight of Gibraltar. Fethi of Jazair Hope joins me to examine the Ceuta migrant crisis, arguing that Morocco’s role should be seen through Spain’s tensions with Israel, the US, Algeria, and Western Sahara. He discusses migration, control of the Strait of Gibraltar, energy routes, Morocco’s ties with Israel, public pressure at home, and a possible power struggle before Moroccan elections. Links: Jazair Hope Website: https://jazairhope.org Jazair Hope YouTube: https://www.youtube.com /@JazairHope Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00: 00:00 Introduction and the Ceuta crossing 00:04:46 Ceuta, Melilla, and migration rumors 00:09:20 Was the border move organized? 00:11:38 Israel, the US, and pressure on Spain 00:21:57 Gibraltar and the risk of a divided Europe 00:28:14 Spain, Algeria, and gas routes 00:36:43 Why Morocco is close to Israel 00:47:35 Morocco’s risky regime gamble 00:53:27 Follow Fethi and Jazair Hope #Pascal Welcome back, everybody, to Neutrality Studies. Today, for an update on the situation in Spain and Morocco, with our friend and colleague Fetty from Jazir Hope. Jazir Hope is a wonderful platform with a YouTube channel where Fetty is doing a lot of very good reporting, often in French, on the situation in North Africa. So, Fetty, thank you very much for coming online again. #Fethi Pascal, it's really a pleasure to be with you again, and thank you for having me. #Pascal Well, thank you very much for reaching out, because you were the one who said, like, look, maybe we should discuss what's happening in Spain. And you are very right. So this is what is being reported in various media outlets as basically an invasion of migrants into Spain. Can you put that a little bit into context? What is actually happening, and who are the actors behind this? #Fethi Yeah, absolutely. And if you allow me, I would like to start by... It's really very sad what's happening in Morocco. Because in 2026, this year, this is the second time Morocco's image has been hit -- 1 of 15 -- extremely hard in the media. The first time, in January 2026, during the African World Cup. So the competition was scandalously biased towards Morocco, and eventually, at the final game, Senegal won on the pitch. Morocco went to reclaim victory through the very corrupt African Football Confederation, and it has impacted the image of Morocco in Africa extremely badly. And now we have this very sad event in Ceuta, as you described, and many, many people worldwide have described it as sad, as an invasion, which indeed it is, because when you look at Ceuta's population, about 80,000 inhabitants, and you have 60,000 going in, there is no other word that can describe it better than invasion. But if we zoom out from the specific event, we can discuss the specific event all along. We will see that beyond the event, there is a precedent. Something similar has happened previously. There is a geopolitical context, and there is an operational actor, which, in my opinion, is Morocco itself, with very strong allies. We will talk about them later on. And with a strategic asset at stake, and geopolitical consequences much wider and beyond the area of Ceuta or the Gibraltar Strait. And eventually, of course, there are beneficiaries to this situation. So, yeah. #Pascal Sorry, precisely. I just wanted to very, very briefly interrupt before you continue, because I think it's very important that we are aware of the geography that we are talking about, right? So if we have here the—let me quickly share my screen. When we talk about Ceuta, we're talking about this city here, which belongs to Spain, but it is actually located on the African continent, right? I mean, this is crucial. #Pascal So we have Tangier here, Morocco's capital, and Ceuta on the right-side tip of the Strait of Gibraltar, on the southern tip of Gibraltar, right? And so this is one of the exclaves of Spain. And of course, we have the Brits, who hold another exclave in Spain, which is Gibraltar itself, which is British territory and not Spanish territory. So, and this is the one that we are talking about. And this is where some 60,000 refugees in very precarious situations, basically just with a shirt on their bodies and in sandals at times, kind of came over and managed to go through. Now, can you maybe put this again into perspective for us? Like, what was... #Fethi Absolutely. And Ceuta is the second enclave. The first one is Melilla. A very quick historical background: so Ceuta and Melilla have been colonized by Portugal and Spain in the 14th, 15th century. We can give people—they can check the dates. And they were never reclaimed or claimed through struggle. So, just to give an example, if you look at the map, just on the other side of the border, there is Oran city in Algeria, which had also been colonized at the same period by Portugal and Spain, precisely, and got independence along with Algeria's independence in 1962 through the -- 2 of 15 -- struggle. The other important point is that Ceuta and Melilla are not part of the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories subject to official decolonization process. So yes, Morocco is claiming them politically, but they are not inscribed in the UN list, nor were they fought for all along history. Melilla is the closest point to Europe through Gibraltar. I think it's 26 kilometers or so. So, yeah, the event, as you said, there were 60,000 young Moroccans who have flowed into the borders. It is very important to say that this happened the following day of March. King Mohammed VI's Throne speech, celebrating the 22nd year he acceded to the throne, was a speech particularly bragging about the performance of the Moroccan economy and how the perspectives for the Moroccan population are bright. So this is a very big question mark, that this also happened that following day. Matter of fact, I'm writing an article whose second part will answer this question. We can discuss it at the end later on. So there are some circumstances and context to this. So this has happened also because Spain has regularized, I think, half a million immigrants in June, the first part of the year. And there was another decision taken by the High Judicial Court in Spain saying that the people who will be coming to Europe in Spain through the sea will not be returned, hot-returned. And the logic is that if they are coming by the sea, they were already in Ceuta. So they have not entered the borders illegally. If someone is coming by the sea through Ceuta, he was in Ceuta. So it's not like those who have broken the borders. So those two events, so the half million regularized immigrants plus this decision, have been used as a base. The narrative says, by the social media rumors, that Spain is allowing whoever is in Ceuta to be regularized and go later on into Europe. #Fethi So this is how it all started. But at the same time, there are videos and images showing trucks transporting hundreds of young Moroccans and being directed clearly by the Moroccan police towards the border. And then, even beyond those photos or videos, when 60,000 people move towards one direction, it is impossible. #Pascal A thousand people, yeah. #Fethi A thousand people move in one direction. It is just impossible for the police or the security services of that country not to notice it. And I said before that there is a precedent. In 2021, there was a very similar situation on a smaller scale. At that time, we're talking about maybe 1,000 to 2,100. It followed the case of the president of the Sahrawi government, Arab Islamic Sahrawi Republic, who was hosted in Spain for medical reasons. And a similar event exactly at the same time. -- 3 of 15 -- And at that time, it was clearly agreed that it was a retaliation by Morocco for receiving the president of the Sahrawi Republic. And at that time also, the foreign minister of Morocco clearly said that we are not the concierge of the frontier of Europe. So can you imagine you have a neighbor and you have the same door to the compound, and he will leave it open while the rule is to keep it closed? And he will tell you, "I'm not responsible for people entering the compound." So this is the context. This is the precedent. So that's why, when we zoom out, it's clear that this is not spontaneous. #Pascal There are people actually who are claiming that this event has something to do with Israel, and that Morocco is basically supporting Israel to put pressure on Spain to stop its advocacy against the genocide in Gaza. Because Spain is basically the only vocal EU member state that has clearly put its weight behind, you know, against Israel, apart from Ireland, I must say, Ireland too. But it's Ireland and Spain, and that this is like the Israeli government basically working with Morocco in order to send a very, very strong signal to Spain that if push comes to shove, they have tools. Is there anything to this, or is this just like some weird conspiracy theory? #Fethi Absolutely. When I said, when we zoom out, we see a clear pattern of a plan. And I spoke about allies to Morocco on this event. It's not only Israel; it's also the United States. So I'll give you a few reference points. So Michael Rubin, who is a researcher at the American Enterprise Institute, published clearly, "Morocco should send a new Green March into Ceuta and Melilla," describing it as a strategy based on civilian mobilization around Ceuta and Melilla. For those who do not know what the Green March is, the Green March refers to when Morocco tried, and is still trying, to take over the Sahara, the Western Sahara. They organized a march towards the Sahara, and it was called the Green March. So Michael Rubin is saying that Morocco should do the same for Ceuta. Clearly, people can Google and find this report. Another more official report, Mario Diaz-Balart, Republican congressman, in the House report, page 88, the third paragraph, speaks about encouraging the talks between Spain and Morocco regarding Ceuta and Melilla, while officially Ceuta is a Spanish territory. This is the first time an American report from the House refers to this. Previously, there is the son of Netanyahu, Yair Netanyahu, saying that we should transfer Ceuta and Melilla to Morocco. So this is not out of the blue. And, for example, the statement of Michael Rubin and the report date of 2026, the statement of Yair Netanyahu dates back to 2025. So this is like a preparation or a narrative that has been building up recently. And of course, as you said, Spain is a target because of the official position of Sánchez towards the Palestine situation. And it's not only support, it's active support. He has refused the American planes to go through the Spanish skies. He has refused the use of the naval ports of Spain. So it's active support to the Palestine and Gaza situation. And Trump has very recently, last year and this year, also repeated -- 4 of 15 -- many times that Spain is not a good NATO member and that he will pay the price. And he, more than that, he referred to the historical territories of Spain. He mentioned Cuba, he mentioned the Philippines, he mentioned Costa Rica, Guam, in reference that they might lose Ceuta like they lost those territories. So there is clear support to this narrative. There is, as I said, allies, operational allies. There is official documentation, official studies by official institutes in the U.S., all converging towards this situation. #Pascal So at this point, while we do not have any kind of—I believe, we don't have any kind of official report