Why does Spain have ‘enclaves’ in North Africa?

Spain's presence in North Africa consists of Ceuta and Melilla, autonomous city enclaves, plus the Plazas de Soberanía—a collection of rocky islands including the Chafarinas Islands, Alhucemas Islands, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera. These represent the last remnants of Spain's colonial empire on the African continent. Morocco, which borders these territories, has never recognized Spanish sovereignty and has sought their return since achieving independence from France in 1956, creating a persistent diplomatic friction between the two nations.

Ceuta's history under European control stretches back centuries. The city fell under Portuguese administration in 1415 before transitioning to Spanish rule in 1580. When Portugal regained independence in 1640 following prolonged conflict, Ceuta remained under Spanish control. Melilla was conquered by a Spanish nobleman in 1497. Following the broader decolonization of Africa in the twentieth century, these two enclaves became the sole European-controlled territories on the African mainland, though they retain their status as Spanish territory and form part of the European Union's external border.

According to Yolanda Aixelà Cabré, an anthropologist at IMF-CSIC in Barcelona, Spain's commitment to maintaining these African enclaves carries profound symbolic weight. She explained that as Spain's influence shifted toward Africa following the loss of major colonial possessions in the Americas—including Cuba, Costa Rica, and the Philippines in 1898—these territories became emblematic of Spanish imperial heritage and civilizational identity.

Historian Selim Balouati Lakhloufi, who specializes in North African history and the Rif region, noted that Ceuta and Melilla persist as separate territories partly because their occupation predates the formation of modern Morocco. He characterized them as enclaves that have been held for centuries, distinguishing their status from territories acquired during the modern colonial period.