Policy, Media, and the Shaping of Spain-Morocco Relations: Discursive Representations of Migration to Ceuta and Melilla

This book uses sociolinguistic approaches to explore how media discourse on undocumented migration informs Morocco-Spain political relations. Historically, much of the contact between these two nations has been through conquest - first through the Umayyad Caliphate taking control of the Iberian Peninsula (then called Hispania) in the 8th century, and then through Spain’s occupation of northern Morocco in the 20th century. Though these historical roots have undoubtedly played a role in shaping present-day Morocco-Spain relations, migration has also become another critical element, as the majority of legally authorized migration to Spain comes from Morocco. Additionally, Morocco serves as a sojourn for much of the undocumented migration to the Spanish autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, both of which are enclaves in Morocco and common entry points for North African and Sub-Saharan African immigrants. Migration to Ceuta and Melilla has therefore become a flashpoint for anti-immigration attitudes that are frequently perpetuated in political and media discourse. The author uses these cities as a case study, situating them within the wider context of both immigration-related policies and news articles in order to examine how migration is represented in Spain and Morocco. The book connects media discourse with policy discourse, and addresses how these mediums (1) co-construct anti-immigration and xenophobic ideologies, and (2) shape and are shaped by the somewhat strained relations between Spain and Morocco. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of Discourse Analysis, Sociolinguistics, Migration Studies and Migration Policy, Media Studies and Political Communication.

Farah Ali is Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA.