Moroccan Parties Demand Economic Revival for Crisis-Hit Border Town Fnideq

Since the closure in October 2019 of the Bab Sebta border crossing, which put an end to the smuggling activity that supported many families in Fnideq, added to the closure of the border for health reasons due to the Covid-19 crisis in March 2020, the city has been plunged into an unprecedented economic crisis. Faced with this "climate of economic paralysis" with dramatic consequences for social peace, the three parties wanted to "sound the alarm".

In a joint statement, they denounce "the ineffectiveness of most of the development projects and alternatives recently carried out on the territory of the commune of Fnideq, which do not meet the aspirations of the local population". The three political formations called "all stakeholders, public authorities, elected institutions, and other stakeholders to adopt a comprehensive development approach in the region, which would put an end to the atmosphere of discontent, anger and social tension".

In February 2021, residents of the region had organized several demonstrations to express their frustration with the authorities’ inaction to get them out of the economic slump. These outbursts of anger have led the leaders to implement development projects generating thousands of jobs.

The economic gloom in the Fnideq region is the main cause of the massive immigration of young residents of the city to Ceuta. In June 2021, hundreds of young people from the border town managed to enter the autonomous city en masse, creating an unprecedented migration crisis. Many young Moroccans lose their lives at sea trying to reach Ceuta. The three parties criticized "the emphasis on close police cooperation, which only exacerbates the situation".