PCTE's response to migration crisis in Ceuta

Between Thursday and Friday, some 50,000 people crossed the border by land and sea and entered Ceuta from Morocco; thousands were minors. So far, more than 50 deaths have been reported, in what is already one of the worst crises at Spain's borders. Throughout Friday, the vast majority returned to Morocco.

These events can be interpreted as a pressure tactic by the Moroccan regime in the relations between Spain and Morocco, coinciding with the strengthening of ties between Morocco and the US-Israeli axis and the new phase of rapprochement between Spain and Algeria . The coalition government, for its part, has blamed this situation solely on organized crime, thus avoiding any connection between what happened and diplomatic, political, commercial, and military relations in the region. 

In light of what happened in Ceuta, which the most reactionary sectors have gone so far as to call an "invasion," we denounce that if these kinds of situations can occur, it is because of the situation in which large sectors of the Moroccan people find themselves, who can be easily manipulated and used in disputes between governments and capitalist states.

Similarly, we denounce that what has happened these days offers an opportunity to the most reactionary sectors of Spanish society to raise the tone of their campaign of xenophobia, racism and militarization of life in our country, an aspect that is closely linked to the general increase in state violence, not only in relations between powers, but also in the domestic sphere, with the aim of disciplining the working class and keeping it as divided as possible.

The migrant working class cannot be a scapegoat: the causes of the difficulties experienced by the working majority in Spain are found in capitalism and in the governments that manage it. 

To those who seek to pit workers born in Spain against those forced to leave their countries, we affirm that our interests are shared. There is no favorable outcome for the working class based on racism, xenophobia, or competition among workers, but only through organization and collective struggle against those who profit from our exploitation.

We reject the military deployment, repression, returns without guarantees, or the hardening of borders that turn the Mediterranean and the areas around Ceuta and Melilla into a mass grave as the response to this situation. We demand respect for the fundamental rights of all people, dignified care for minors, and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding these deaths.

At the same time, we denounce the Moroccan government's use of the migrant population as an instrument of political pressure, as well as the responsibility of the Spanish government and the European Union, whose economic, political, and military relations contribute to perpetuating the poverty, dependency, and lack of prospects that drive thousands of people to leave their homes.

We call on the working class and the popular sectors not to be swayed by reactionary propaganda. Faced with racism, militarization, and division, we must build internationalist solidarity and the unity of all workers, regardless of their origin or nationality.

Against racism, war, and exploitation, unity of the working class!