Border Closure Leaves Thousands of Moroccan ’Mule Women’ Jobless in Ceuta

Since this decision was made, the economy between Morocco and Ceuta has slowed down. The "mule women" are the first to suffer. The situation persists, much to the dismay of thousands of goods carriers.

However, "employment opportunities are becoming increasingly scarce in this field, as no strategic socioeconomic plan has been developed to integrate and promote the employment of women," said Nadia Nair, a professor at the University of the city of Tétouan, and a specialist in gender and human rights issues, in an interview with El Diario.

On October 9 last year, Morocco had unilaterally decided to close the border crossing, giving access to the Sebta enclave, in order to combat smuggling. Nabyl Lakhdar, Director General of Customs, explained to L’Économiste that smuggled goods were undermining the Moroccan economy "by destroying the productive sector".