Deep Dive Lectures - "The Ceuta Crisis: What Really Happened at Europe's Southern Border and Why?"

Deep Dive is a new series of lecture nights in Barcelona: we borrow a bar, bring in someone who really knows their subject, and let them talk about it. 🌍 Lecture: "The Ceuta Crisis: What Really Happened at Europe's Southern Border and Why?" 🎤 Speaker: Francesco Pasetti, Research Fellow at CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs) and Adjunct Professor at Universitat Pompeu Fabra 📍 Location: central Barcelona, exact venue announced soon 📅 Wednesday, 14 October, doors open at 6:30 PM On 30 July, tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco into Ceuta, a Spanish city of 84,000 on the African coast. Dozens died. Within days it was an EU emergency, and everyone had an opinion. Was it an invasion? And did Pedro Sánchez handle it the right way? Most of us followed it through headlines and still couldn't say what actually happened, or why it happened there. Francesco studies migration and border policy for a living, and he is one of the people journalists call when they need this story put in context. The night has three parts: The backstory: the long and complicated relationship between Spain and Morocco, and why there is a European border on African soil in the first place. The crisis: why people migrate, what led so many to cross at once, and how it turned into such a serious humanitarian situation. What now: what the crisis means for Spain and Europe, how it was handled, and what can realistically be done, with the different approaches on the table. This won't be a lecture where you just sit and listen. Francesco will ask the room what you think, put questions to you, and open things up for discussion along the way. Come with opinions. He sticks to the facts and explains them clearly to people who don't work in politics, which is exactly the point of the night. No background needed. The talk runs about 50 minutes, followed by open Q&A and time to chat with Francesco and the rest of the room after. Agenda 6:30 PM - Doors open: find a seat (open seating!), order food & drinks, and expect a bar line, arriving early is key. 6:55 PM - Host introduction 7:00 PM - Lecture begins 7:50 PM - Audience Q&A 8:00 PM - Have 1:1 time with the speaker, mingle with fellow guests, and order another round 8:30 PM - Wrap up. See you there 🍷 IG: @deepdive.bcn This lecture will be held in English.