Prof. Ahmed Habouss, an Italian-Moroccan researcher with broad experience in sociology, anthropology and political sciences, offers an interesting analysis of the recent facts which characterized the “Ceuta crisis” and the new Mediterranean and European situation.
Ahmed Habouss
The events in Ceuta confront us with a truth we often prefer to ignore: you cannot erase geography, and history never stops pressing upon the present. On this tiny strip of land, facing the Mediterranean yet enclaved within Moroccan territory, what played out was no simple news item. At its core, it was a profoundly human tragedy. Men, women, and young people, carrying the full weight of their hopes and fears, clashed with borders rooted in the colonial era—lines that still continue to cause deep divides and suffering today. And profiting from this pain is an invisible yet ruthlessly efficient criminal network: human traffickers speculating on the lives of others, selling the illusion of paradises and Eldorados that, in reality, do not exist.
Faced with such raw images, the immediate reaction is purely emotional. Social media amplifies everything, and within minutes, the internet is flooded with snap judgments, accusations, slogans, and opposing camps. Yet, it is precisely when emotion risks suffocating reason that silence can become a higher form of responsibility. Not the silence of someone turning a blind eye, but the silence needed to give oneself the time to understand before judging.
My grandmother often repeated a proverb that has stayed with me ever since: “When something is boiling hot, the first thing to do is let it cool down.”
As a child, it seemed to me like just a piece of practical advice, a simple kitchen trick or playground rule. Over the years, however, I have come to realize its deep wisdom. It meant not allowing oneself to be blinded by impulsiveness, not confusing speed with clarity of mind, and not trusting the instinct of the very first moment.
Today, those words resonate as an absolute necessity. Choosing to take a step back does not mean downplaying the gravity of what is happening, nor does it mean remaining indifferent. On the contrary, it means making space: creating the right distance to observe reality in all its complexity, sheltered from the emotional storms and simplifications that too often poison public debate. It is the only way we can hope to grasp the deep roots of a crisis that was not born yesterday and cannot be cured with ready-made answers.
The Two Faces of Modern Morocco
Moreover, Ceuta also reminds us of another side of reality. The Morocco of today is a country profoundly different from what it was a few decades ago. It has undergone radical transformations, investing heavily in infrastructure, industry, finance, renewable energy, and new technologies, while modernizing its institutions. It is a nation that has successfully established itself as a central player on the African continent and in the Mediterranean, demonstrating remarkable stability in a geographical area often tormented by intense tensions.
Yet, every path of growth comes with a price and new responsibilities. Economic development, however extraordinary, is not enough if a part of the population continues to feel excluded from the banquet of opportunities. Morocco’s true challenge cannot be reduced to macroeconomic data or massive construction projects. Instead, it hinges on its ability to transform that wealth into shared well-being, offering young people real perspectives and consolidating a solid, dynamic middle class that can act as social glue and a driving engine for the entire country.
It is on this invisible ground that the future of Morocco will be decided. The country has the resources, the skills, and the energy to make it happen. Modernization has opened the doors to the future; now, those results must become a genuine opportunity for everyone, so that no young person ever has to believe that their only possible horizon lies beyond a border.
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