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Episode details

World Service,04 Aug 2026,26 mins

Who’s to blame for the chaos on Spain’s border?

The Global Story

Available for over a year

Why did tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco suddenly attempt to cross into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta by sea last week? In the days since the sudden border crisis left at least 72 people dead, a variety of theories have circulated. The Trump administration blamed the incident on “radical left-wing globalist policies”, and many European leaders condemned what they say is Spain’s lax immigration policy. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez denied those claims and blamed trafficking gangs. Others have blamed Morocco, and accused it of ‘weaponising’ migrants for political purposes. We speak to the BBC’s Southern and Eastern Europe correspondent, Sarah Rainsford, to find out how and why the Ceuta crisis happened. Producers: Aron Keller and Cat Farnsworth Executive producer: James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Hundreds of migrants swim across to Ceuta, Spain from Morocco. Credit: Reduan Dris / EPA/Shutterstock

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