Simonas Kojelė @Simas_Ko

Ceuta, Morocco, Understanding the Situation For a long time, Islamist rhetoric in Morocco has painted Europe as a kind of promised land, a place where welfare never runs out, chances are everywhere, and prosperity comes easily, with barely any effort required. The objective has always been to weaken trust in Morocco's own institutions and steer young people toward leaving. But those very currents held power after the 2011 constitutional reforms tied to the Arab Spring. Their time in government produced a sluggish economy, unfulfilled promises, and a public that steadily lost faith. Since then, the pitch has barely changed. The same refrains keep coming back, while Morocco is framed as a failed state, not worth anyone’s loyalty, not worth building, not worth investing in. In that narrative, Morocco is often branded a kafir state and the King is attacked as not Islamic enough. Young Moroccans are urged toward jihad and a permanent stance of confrontation with the West. Amazigh (Berber) identity, too, is mocked or dismissed as backward, even primitive. Year after year, the effort has been to drain the spirit out of an entire generation, to sell them on one bleak claim above all: their country has no future. The same ideological current also pushes a claim that Morocco is trying to “reclaim Muslim land” via Ceuta and Melilla. In reality, no Moroccan government has expressed such a demand to the United Nations or any similar international body. Official diplomacy has kept those enclaves separate from Western Sahara, where Rabat has made a formal, explicit sovereignty claim for decades. That difference says a lot about the distance between Morocco’s actual foreign policy and the Islamist storyline built for ideological mobilization. It’s also worth noting where the loudest demand has come from. A Moroccan Islamist leader has publicly argued that the country “must eventually regain control of Ceuta and Melilla.” By projecting that position onto the state while brushing aside official statements and practice, Islamist activists manufacture a thin appearance of legitimacy for a campaign that aims to weaken state authority, and amplify the message online for global support. Morocco’s ties with Israel and the United States then get turned into a weapon as well, presented as proof that the government itself lacks legitimacy. Morocco remains a developing country. Real social and economic difficulties persist, and legitimate frustrations deserve to be taken seriously. Still, describing the country as hopeless helps no one, not Moroccans and not anyone interested in meaningful reform. In practice, that narrative mainly benefits two groups: people looking to justify illegal migration, and those trying to strip the Moroccan state of legitimacy. The timing is also interesting: general elections are set for 23 September, and Islamist operators understand that border chaos, magnified on social media, can destabilize the incumbent narrative before the vote. Since October 7, this has sharpened, in part because Islamists now face a possible political rival in Fouzi Lekjaa, the highly capable president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. Lekjaa is widely credited with driving Morocco’s historic run to the semi-finals in the 2022 World Cup and with turning the national team into a global force. Now he is using his key role in winning and preparing for the 2030 World Cup, co-hosted with Spain and Portugal, to bolster his profile as a potential prime minister, and to deepen his standing as one of the country’s most influential public figures. Contrary to the conspiracy talk that spreads online, Morocco gains nothing from uncontrolled crossings. Some critics point to Algeria’s relationships with European governments, but every major European state keeps channels open with Algiers, Giorgia Meloni’s Italy has a notably strong relationship, while Morocco’s day-to-day cooperation has stayed consistently solid across the board. That includes strong migration frameworks with France and Germany, including a bilateral partnership signed with Berlin in 2024 that has driven higher returns, deportation arrangements with Hungary and Poland, and, most recently, close operational coordination with the United States. The truth is that Morocco is itself under heavy migration pressure coming from the Sahel. In 2025 alone, authorities intercepted 73,640 attempted irregular crossings, and sub-Saharan nationals now account for nearly 60% of foreign residents. Last year, several thousand Sudanese and other Sahel-origin migrants also crossed the eastern border, adding to the strain already felt in Moroccan cities, it’s a pressure ordinary Moroccans regularly complain about. The chaos of the past two days only worsens Morocco’s position rather than helping it: once the impression of an open or uncontrolled border spreads, it draws in even more refugees and irregular migrants, piling additional weight onto a burden that is already substantial. zinebriboua.com/p/ceuta-morocc…

This @BoardOfPeace plan is a worthy effort. Much credit to @nmladenov, the mediators, and Trump officials for their hard work on it. It lays out a detailed, verified sequence in which Hamas' disarmament, the arrival of Palestinian technocratic governance supprorted by international forces, and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza are supposed to occur. The challenge will be in the implementation. Hamas has a long history for seeming to reach agreements which are actually laden with multiple caveats. Israel is extremely skeptical of Hamas' intentions, and will drag its feet on commitments to withdraw if it sees any shortfalls. The politics leading into the Israeli elections make it even more difficult, with both coalition members and opposition leaders trashing the deal. And the Palestinian technocratic committee's authority is as yet unproven, while the international forces will take months to recruit, train, and deploy. So this is all very difficult, and skepticism is warranted. But it is the best chance for removing Hamas from Gaza so it can no longer threaten Israel, and allowing Palestinian civilians there to recover and rebuild. We should all hope it succeeds.

The European Union now has an essential tool thanks to the progress secured by @EPP and @fxbellamy in the European Parliament with the new Return Directive. It is now time to turn legislation into action: anyone who is unlawfully present and has no legal right to remain must be effectively returned. France cannot bear the consequences of the migration policies of its neighbours. If a Member State makes decisions that create a pull factor for irregular migration, we must be able to protect our borders immediately, particularly with Spain. Controlling immigration is a prerequisite for sovereignty, security, and trust between European states. The rules are already in place they must now be enforced firmly, in the interests of France and Europe. #Ceuta

Onacceptabele beelden uit Spanje. Er moet snel en stevig opgetreden worden. We moeten onze grenzen beveiligen en beschermen. Toekijken hoe illegale migranten Europa instromen is geen optie.

Spain’s external border in Ceuta is Europe’s external border. Europe has approved stronger EU return rules and the Migration and Asylum Pact. These measures must now be enforced with determination.

Everything you need to know about fixtures and stadiums at Euro 2028! 🧵

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Miliband is Jaishankar’s eighth British counterpart. A self-sabotaging way to do foreign policy. In that same period France has had four and Germany three foreign ministers. Average stint of a British foreign minister has been less than 15 months. An absolute joke.

Christopher Clary @clary_co

a week ago

Great photo here.

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Jurgen Klopp is back on the touchline with Germany ❤️

A Joint Declaration on Strategic Agenda for Bilateral Partnership was signed yesterday in Berlin. It is the 1st bilateral document ever signed by President of Azerbaijan & Federal Chancellor of Germany in the history of 🇦🇿🇩🇪 relations, elevating our ties to a new strategic level

💔🥲

Massive news - former UK defence secretary @JohnHealey_MP is the new chancellor!! The armed forces will cheer - provided this means he continues to keep defence his priority when confronted with all the other spending dilemmas. There is a precedent for this of course. Philip Hammond went from defence secretary (via the foreign office) to the Treasury when the Tories were in power though he was not sympathetic to the demands for funding from defence.

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57 years ago

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Some sad news to bring you. Former England player and manager Kevin Keegan has passed away at the age of 75 after battling cancer. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

In two years, Fabian Ruiz has won the European Championship, World Cup, two Champions Leagues. Now has 50 international caps and 0 defeats. One of the (many) Spain players who is so, so much better than the perception they have.

🇦🇿🇩🇪 Azerbaijan–Germany ties are gaining real momentum. From energy security and Middle Corridor to economic cooperation and regional stability, our partnership is broader, stronger, and more strategic than ever. Highlights from my interview with @Anewz_tv

Didier Deschamps a very dignified, selfless figure as he says adieu to the France job. Reflecting on his career, Deschamps said: "I feel I gave so much. I want to talk like the youth (and say), ‘I really had a blast, I really had a blast’, talking with my players. But this is the end. I have received many messages but two or three created tears. These people really matter to me.” On his future, “I will take care of my family. I need to go on holiday with my family. I will recover (energy). With my personal situation - which I do not wish on anybody (his mother passing away) - but it drained me. "I am so proud we got the second star, winning the 2018 World Cup and contributing to the French people's pride. With passion, we did everything we could for the French team to reach the top of the top.” Legend.

France and England players united in prayer after the final whistle. 🥹❤️

A message to Mayor Mamdani: Netanyahu is fighting for his political life. Many Israelis are sick of him and hope to vote him out. The only possible outcome of a fruitless attempt to arrest him in NYC would be to give him a political boost at home. That would be an own goal.

🚨🔵 BREAKING: MORGAN ROGERS TO CHELSEA, HERE WE GO! Club to club agreement reached today with Aston Villa to anticipate Arsenal official bid. £117m proposal has been accepted, as @David_Ornstein reported. Agreement done with Morgan Rogers on personal terms until June 2032. 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼

🇪🇸 A curious coincidence from this World Cup: every team Spain has faced was, at some point in history, part of the same political entity as Spain. 🇨🇻 Cape Verde — Iberian Union 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia — Umayyad Caliphate 🇺🇾 Uruguay — Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata 🇦🇹 Austria — Habsburg Monarchy 🇵🇹 Portugal — Iberian Union 🇧🇪 Belgium — Habsburg Monarchy 🇫🇷 France — Napoleonic Empire 🇦🇷 Argentina — Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata

The King “drowned a few sorrows” with a pint of beer following England’s World Cup defeat against Argentina.