Morocco vs Spain: why it matters for the EU

Ceuta, a small Spanish city on the North African coast, was the setting for the latest episode in the bilateral drift between Madrid and Rabat. Brussels, almost 2,000 kilometres north, is a less visible but equally important arena where the two countries are carrying on the fight.

On 17 June, thousands of mainly Moroccan migrants crossed the border with Ceuta, taking advantage of an apparent relaxation of controls by Moroccan securi...