In Ceuta , about 50% of the population speaks "Ceuti Arabic", considered the mother tongue. Despite this undeniable reality, "Ceuti Arabic" does not seem to be sufficiently representative and visible for public institutions. In a manifesto, civil society is calling on the authorities to work for the protection and officialization of this language.
The president of the autonomous city of Melilla , Eduardo de Castro, said in an interview on Sunday radio that relations with Morocco "are tense" due to the latter’s unilateral closure of commercial customs, and the difficulties of entering goods through Malaga and Almería. He called on the central government and the European Union to "ease these tensions".
Some 700 female mules will be relocated to textile factories thanks to the integrated program for economic and social development of the prefecture of M’diq-Fnideq, and the province of Tétouan, in collaboration with the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills (ANAPEC) .
The Spanish government is accused of lying about the situation of Samir, a Moroccan currently in a coma since he was the victim of a traffic accident in Ceuta.
Ceuta and Melilla are experiencing a severe economic crisis since the closure of the borders with Morocco on March 20, 2020. The two Spanish enclaves can no longer stand this situation which has led to the halt of the informal trade that benefits the majority of the populations.
Six months after the launch in June of the project to build the commercial free trade zone in Fnideq , the work had been suspended due, among other things, to the health crisis. Today, after two months of suspension and in the face of street pressure, the work will resume.
Aboubaker, 3 years old, is the youngest of three siblings. He lives in Fnideq with his mother and two brothers, far from their father who is stuck in Ceuta due to the closure of the borders. The whole family suffers from this endless separation.
The Spanish government delegation in Ceuta indicated on Monday that for the time being, the border with Morocco will remain closed, given the health situation in the two countries. However, it assured that Moroccans wishing to return to their country could be repatriated. About a hundred people have already registered on the list opened for this purpose.
The Civil Guard of Ceuta has arrested two Moroccans, who were swimming from Morocco to the coast of Ceuta , in possession of 35 kilos of hashish.
Despite the repatriations that took place in May and September, the Spanish government delegation in Ceuta continues to receive requests for repatriation of Moroccans. Another some 90 people have registered to be repatriated in the coming months.
Ayoub Fakhry, an 18-year-old, decided with a friend to take a kayak to leave Fnideq and reach Ceuta . The two candidates for illegal immigration have been missing since Saturday. Ayoub’s family, without news, is desperately searching for him.
Ceuta and Melilla should stop complaining about the inaction of the Spanish government in the face of the economic pressure they are suffering from Morocco, writes journalist Ignacio Cembrero. They would rather do better to seek the support of the EU to ensure compliance with the cooperation agreements between the latter and the kingdom.