“Football cannot be used to whitewash everything,” asserts Movimiento Sumar in a document sent to the Congress of Deputies urging the Government to review the joint organization of the 2030 World Cup by Spain and Portugal with Morocco. The migration crisis in Ceuta, in which 72,000 migrants crossed the Spanish border, has raised suspicions about the reliability of the North African country regarding Spain. “Migration cooperation cannot function as a key that opens or closes depending on diplomatic interests,” the left-wing coalition has signed, protesting because, in their view, “migrants cannot be used by the Moroccan Government nor criminalized upon arrival in Spain.”
Read more The King will receive the president of Ceuta in Mallorca one week after the migratory surge
At first, there was speculation about the reasons behind the permissiveness of the Moroccan authorities guarding their side of the border after the massive entry, which occurred following Pedro Sánchez’s recent visit to Algeria, the law to grant nationality to Sahrawis, and a possible rivalry to host the 2030 World Cup final. Although Spanish intelligence services conclude that Morocco allowed and used the human wave over Ceuta, they point out that it was not planned and, therefore, there was no premeditation.
After this, explanations for the mass arrival have come from both Madrid and Rabat. Both governments agree in pointing to a decision by the Spanish Supreme Court, from early July, which prohibits hot expulsions if the entry occurs by sea, without violating border elements.
“When desperate people become pieces of geostrategic pressure, a reliable relationship between partners ceases to exist,” responds Sumar in the document signed by four of its deputies. The left-wing party assures that “as long as such serious doubts persist about the political use of human lives,” Morocco cannot “obtain the prestige, economic benefits, and international legitimacy of a World Cup.”
There are many unknowns four years before the celebration of the most important football event. The biggest is which stadium will host the final. The president of the RFEF, Rafael Louzán, assured last January that it will be held in Spain and Santiago Bernabéu is the favorite option. But FIFA has not yet made the decision. Morocco also wants to host the last match and is putting pressure to achieve it. To this end, it promoted the reform project of its great stadium, the Hassan II in Casablanca with a capacity of 115,000 spectators, led by the firm responsible for the last Wembley renovation.
Sumar argues that “the Government is not a bystander in this process” and therefore must review if there are “facts incompatible with the principles that Spain claims to defend.” Furthermore, they point out that FIFA’s human rights commitments cannot “be reduced to a formality completed during the awarding, but must be maintained throughout the preparation and celebration of the tournament” and justify that “the scale of the facts, the failure of prevention mechanisms, and the documented precedents require reviewing the trust relationship on which the joint organization is based.”
“The defense of human rights, the protection of childhood, the preservation of human life, and the demand for institutional responsibility must be part of the governance of major international sporting events,” they point out in the document. Likewise, they state that “it is necessary to promote independent oversight mechanisms, encourage greater institutional transparency, and strengthen democratic control over the organization of the 2030 World Cup.”
Read more This is how the Sun boils: the sharpest images reveal a chaos of plasma whirlpools
