Morocco Bound

At least three Algerian nationals remain in custody in Morocco after traveling to the country to support their national football team during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The detentions stem from separate incidents that Moroccan authorities say violated public order and criminal law during or around match days.

A proposed law governing Morocco’s legal profession has triggered protests and a nationwide strike, as lawyers accuse the Justice Ministry of sidelining consultations and expanding executive oversight. The dispute suggests broader tensions over professional independence, regulatory authority, and the future of Morocco’s legal market.

Irregular migration to Spain declined significantly in 2025 following a record year in 2024, according to official figures. The drop was driven primarily by a sharp reduction in sea crossings to the Canary Islands, long one of Europe’s most dangerous migration routes. Enhanced maritime surveillance and expanded cooperation between Spain, the European Union, and key departure countries in West and North Africa played a central role in reducing Atlantic crossings. At the same time, arrivals to Spain did not disappear but shifted geographically, with increased landings reported in the Balearic Islands via the western Mediterranean. The figures highlight how enforcement measures can reshape migration patterns while leaving underlying pressures and humanitarian risks largely unchanged.

The US military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is being closely watched across Africa, not as a regional Latin American event, but as part of a broader pattern of great-power behavior toward the Global South. African institutions, governments, and analysts are reading the raid alongside long-standing grievances over external intervention, from France’s contested role in the Sahel to Russia’s expanding security footprint and the growing presence of other outside actors. While few African voices defend Maduro’s record, many express concern that the seizure of a sitting president without multilateral authorization reinforces a system where sovereignty and international law apply unevenly. The episode has intensified debates across the continent about precedent, deterrence, and vulnerability, particularly for resource-rich and non-aligned states, and has revived fears that hierarchy, rather than rules, still shapes how power is exercised in international affairs.