By DK Giri
A small Spanish town of 84,000 people was suddenly faced with 60,000 new arrivals from Morocco. That is not migration. That is a surge!
The town’s schools, hospitals, water, housing and policing — its entire carrying capacity — was overwhelmed. Some of those who made it had to be sent back. In the process, 67 people died en route, in boats, on roads, in desperation. As Spain took time to process and respond, more Moroccans were reportedly planning to follow. But the images of those returning — without food, shelter, or dignity — perhaps dissuaded the next wave.
This is not a European story alone. This is a human story witnessed in many parts of the world. India experiences similar incidents more often than not.
Three lessons stand out from the Moroccan surge into Spain. First, speed matters. When a state takes too long to decide — to process, to shelter, to communicate — it creates an information vacuum. That vacuum is filled by smugglers who say, “go now, before the door closes.”
Second, conditions of return matter. The pathetic visuals of Moroccans being sent back without food or shelter became a deterrent. Cruel as it sounds, that is how migration calculus works. People watch and decide.
Third, carrying capacity is real. A town of 84,000 cannot absorb 60,000 overnight without breaking. That is not about xenophobia. That is about water, food, shelter and hospital beds. Any democracy that ignores this will lose public trust.
India is not as wealthy as Europe. But we are a functioning democracy, with stable politics and relatively better livelihood opportunities than our neighbours. That is precisely why India faces illegal migration too — from Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. People cross for work, for safety, for food.
So, the Spanish question is also our question: how do we manage compassion with capacity? More important: should New Delhi worry?
Yes, because migration is not just a border problem. It is a neighbourhood development problem.
If Bangladesh has climate shocks and joblessness, the pressure will be on West Bengal. If Myanmar has civil conflict, the pressure will be on Mizoram and Manipur. If Sri Lanka has an economic or ethnic crisis, the boats will head to Tamil Nadu. You cannot fence away geography. You have to invest in it.
The images from Spain are painful: a small town overwhelmed, 67 dead, thousands sent back hungry. But behind those images is a simple truth. People do not risk death for fun. They do it when home offers no hope. You cannot stop that with barbed wire alone. You stop it by making home viable. For Europe, that means investing in Africa. For India, that means investing in South Asia.
Should New Delhi worry about Moroccan immigrants in Spain? Directly, no. Indirectly, yes. Because the same forces — poverty, climate, conflict — are at play in our region. And the same question will be asked of us tomorrow: how many can we accommodate, and how do we make sure fewer people need to ask?
The answer cannot be “none.” The answer has to be “let’s build a world where fewer people have to leave.” That is not just migration policy. That is foreign policy. That is human policy.
The writer is Professor of Practice, Institute of Management Bhubaneswar.