Melilla Fish Imports from Morocco Stalled as Border Customs Remain Closed

The commercial customs at the Melilla border, unilaterally closed by Morocco since August 2018, have still not been relaunched, blocking the import of goods and in particular fish in the autonomous city. The Spanish government is working to reopen these customs, said Sabrina Moh, the government delegate in Melilla, specifying that the autonomous city will be authorized to import fish as soon as the border facilities meet the requirements of the Ministry of Health.

If the conditions are met, the Ministry of Health will amend its order concerning the sanitary control of imported products intended for personal use and human consumption and grant the related customs facilities. For Melilla, these are non-animal origin products, which should be at room temperature, while in Ceuta, fresh fish, crustaceans, cephalopods and live land snails are concerned.

Regarding commercial customs, Moh did not give a possible reopening date, but reiterated that the government is working to "reach the final objective, which is the complete normalization of the border, both in the pedestrian and commercial parts". The government delegate recalled that only three vans carrying goods have crossed from Melilla to Morocco since the reopening of the borders, the first on January 27, and two others on February 24.