Long Delays at Melilla Border as Moroccan Diaspora Returns for Eid Al-Adha

About 300 vehicles of Moroccans living abroad arrived on Monday on a first boat in Melilla, and took an average of six hours to cross the border into Morocco. A second ship, which arrived around noon, carried 210 vehicles of Moroccans living abroad who spent five hours before entering Morocco. Then, 210 other vehicles of Moroccans living abroad disembarked from a third ship and had to wait nearly six hours before joining Morocco, reports El Faro de Melilla.

In addition to this long line of vehicles of Moroccans living abroad, there was also that of the inhabitants of Melilla who were put on hold, with priority of passage being given to the vehicles of Moroccans living abroad, "on the orders of Morocco," according to local authorities. In this period of intense heat, the wait seems endless for Moroccans living abroad, especially for the children, who spend more than five hours in the sun before accessing Morocco. Mobility agents, national and local police are on site to maintain order.

The flow of vehicles of Moroccans living abroad increased by 65% in Melilla compared to 2019, but this considerable influx did not lead to massive traffic jams like those recorded in Ceuta, with waiting times of up to 12 hours to cross the border. As of July 6, 10,571 Moroccans living abroad out of a total of 17,836 arriving from the ports of Almeria, Malaga and Motril, preferred to pass through Melilla rather than go directly to Nador.