Ceuta Proposes EU Customs Union Entry to Counter Morocco’s Economic Blockade

To deal with the blockade suffered by the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla since 2018, first with the closure of the Melilla customs office and then the borders with Ceuta, thus putting an end to the smuggling trade and preventing the free movement of people and goods, President Vivas is asking the government to integrate Ceuta and Melilla into the Schengen area, which will allow the identity of people entering the territory of the two autonomous cities to be controlled.

[See: article 84085]

But first, Vivas’ plan sets preconditions such as the acceleration of the transit of people for family, professional or tourist reasons and the "creation of a shared prosperity area on both sides of the border, based on cooperation and complementarity." These "diplomatic" actions must be carried out by the central government to restore good neighborly relations with Morocco, explains the president of Ceuta in this four-page document.

Vivas demands that this economic recovery plan, valid for Ceuta and Melilla, be approved and executed "immediately" in order to improve infrastructure and services in the two cities, particularly in the areas of security, defense, justice, health, education and social policies.