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PaperclipPerfector  1d ago (text post)   172 thread views

Transnational Thursday for July 30, 2026

Transnational Thursday is a thread for people to discuss international news, foreign policy or international relations history. Feel free as well to drop in with coverage of countries you’re interested in, talk about ongoing dynamics like the wars in Israel or Ukraine, or even just whatever you’re reading.

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The existence of Spain’s small African enclaves is usually the sort of fact that shows up in a trivia contest, but two of them—Ceuta and Melilla—have been in the news this week. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court of Spain ruled (1) (2) that Spain’s immigration law, which allows border security to turn away illegal immigrants who climb over the border fences between Morocco and those two enclaves, doesn’t allow the state to immediately turn away illegal immigrants who cross the border via the water. This has naturally led to a massive increase in illegal crossings, with hundreds of Moroccans, Algerians, and other North Africans swarming the border over the last few weeks. Earlier today, the border “totally collapsed” as thousands more migrants—mostly young men—began dismantling and passing through the border fences. The local authorities asked the national government to declare a state of emergency, which they declined to do, instead opting to send 60 additional soldiers to secure the border. Despite the pretty obvious link between the Supreme Court decision and the sudden increase in illegal crossings, Spanish authorities have declared themselves mystified as to the cause of the crisis.

In additional international impacts, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni has threatened to suspend Italy’s open-border agreement with Spain “to defend our borders and ensure the safety of our citizens,” and the White House has publicly criticized Spain’s handling of the issue.

Update: an estimated 50,000–60,000 migrants illegally crossed the Ceuta border over the last 24 hours. For comparison, Ceuta has less than 85,000 inhabitants.

Fuller quote from article:

Spain's Interior Ministry said around 50,000 people had crossed the border since Thursday morning, and estimated that around 25,000 had already turned and gone back.

Juan Jesus Vivas, head of Ceuta's local government, said as many as 60,000 people had pushed across.

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