US, Israel behind Cueta crisis? The geopolitics of illegal migration from Morocco to Spain

Thousands of people braving rough seas, clinging to rubber tubes and makeshift flotation devices, trying desperately to swim barely 100 metres into Europe. These extraordinary scenes which unfolded at Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta recently have become one of the defining images of the global migration crisis this year.But behind the viral visuals lies a much bigger story — one that stretches far beyond poverty and illegal migration into geopolitics, diplomacy and Europe's dependence on Morocco to guard its southern frontier.For two days, thousands of migrants streamed into Ceuta, the tiny Spanish territory on Morocco's Mediterranean coast. Between 50,000 and 60,000 people attempted the crossing, with many swimming around the Tarajal and Benzú coastal barriers using inner tubes and improvised flotation devices.