Immigration into the European Union via the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla: A reflection of regional economic disparities

Abstract

As the only EU territories in North Africa, the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla are unique points of entry for immigrants into the EU. The Euro‐Mediterranean Partnership (EMP) or Barcelona Process is designed to reduce disparities between Europe and the countries of the South and East Mediterranean and thereby tackle the immigration problem in the medium to long term. In addition there are short‐term measures outside the EMP that are being taken. But the EMP, although an ambitious and major commitment by the EU towards non‐European Mediterranean countries, is unlikely to result in sufficient economic growth to have a significant effect on the immigration issue. Nor has the Partnership made much progress through the third chapter of the Barcelona Declaration in tackling the immigration concerns of countries from both sides of the Mediterranean. In the foreseeable future the enclaves will therefore continue to attract would‐be immigrants into the EU from across Africa.