Migrants gather in Ceuta, Spain, following recent mass crossings of migrants on foot and by sea from Morocco into Spanish territory, August 1, 2026. (REUTERS)The enclave of Ceuta made headlines last week after thousands of migrants crossed into the Spanish territory located on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast. But why have the two enclaves been at the centre of a diplomatic standoff between Spain and Morocco? Enclaves and exclavesAn enclave is a discontiguous part of the territory of a state surrounded by or enclosed within the territory of another state. From the perspective of the surrounding state, the discontiguous territory is called enclave, and from the perspective of the mainland state to which the discontiguous part belongs, it is called exclave.