Ceuta‑Castillejos Income Gap Shows Sharp Disparity

A few hundred metres separate the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from the Moroccan town of Castillejos, yet their per‑capita incomes differ dramatically – about €23,000 a year in Ceuta versus roughly €5,000 in Castillejos, the steepest income gradient recorded worldwide. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell described the gap at the III Mediterranean Forum as an "unstoppable magnet" that no wall can contain.

Professor Pedro Videla of IESE highlighted the EU's policy dilemma: whether to cooperate with autocratic governments to curb irregular migration, to invest in those states, or to promote economic development that could reduce institutional and income gaps. He noted the accelerating Chinese investment in North Africa as a factor raising the stakes. Critics in Spain blamed the government for intelligence failures after about 50,000 people arrived on Ceuta’s beaches from Morocco, saying ministries were not warned in time.