Conquest and Colonialism: A Brief History of Morocco-Spain Relations

In this chapter, I provide the historical and political context of Morocco-Spain relations that has shaped the current political and news discourse surrounding migration. Here, I offer an overview of these two countries’ shared history. This includes an overview of the North African conquest of the Iberian Peninsula (present day Spain and Portugal), as well as the sociocultural, political, religious, and linguistic impacts of this conquest and its subsequent decline. Next, I highlight key moments in the early modern history of Spain and Morocco, and discuss the colonization of Morocco, as well as Moroccan (pro-)independence. This history thus provides context for understanding current migration to Spain. Finally, in this chapter I also discuss the sociolinguistic situation of Spain, Morocco, Ceuta, and Melilla.