Moroccan Immigration in Spain: A Discourse Analysis of Anti-Immigrant Sentiments from the El Ejido Riots

Facilitator: Lou Vijayakar

On February 5, 2000, El Ejido, Spain, a small town on the Southern Mediterranean coast, erupted in violent conflict with a large riot by local Spanish nationals towards Moroccan immigrants. This riot represents a major explosion of tension between Spanish nationals and Moroccan immigrants that had been escalating since the early 1990s. By completing a discourse analysis of major themes of Spanish media sources, the El Ejido riots show that anti- immigrant discussions evolved in this brief time period. Spanish rioters defined Moroccan immigrants as the “other,” which strengthened Spanish national identity and excluded Moroccans and other immigrant nationalities from peaceful coexistence in Spain. Within the context of Spanish immigration legislation at that time, the discourses surrounding the El Ejido riots show that integration of immigrant groups into civil society is essential to prevent future large-scale ethnic conflicts.