Moroccan Sex Workers in Spanish Enclave Face Crisis Amid COVID-19 Lockdown

"I hope I’ll make 30 euros a night," said Lamya, a prostitute walking slowly after midnight, along La Legión street in the largest neighborhood of Melilla, El Real, in search of a client.

Forced to prostitute herself because of her irregular situation, she denounces the slavery that reigns in the world of employment. "I’m looking for a job..., but without papers, no one wants to hire me," says this 44-year-old Moroccan woman.

Lamya says she expects nothing from the government. She also does not trust the NGOs doing social work. "They come for a few days, they ask you questions and then they disappear to make reports or they tell you they don’t have resources," she said.

The emergency plan put in place by the Ministry of Equality to mitigate the economic and social consequences of the coronavirus has not impacted the lives of prostitutes who were originally excluded from it, before being taken into account later. This plan aimed to ensure "essential services" for them, including housing.

Months after the publication of this plan, the reality shows that prostitutes in Melilla have not benefited from any of these measures since the beginning of the health crisis.

For Lamya, as a prostitute, condoms, lubricant, masks and hand sanitizer do not protect against the coronavirus. "All this is of little use. Let’s face it, who uses a mask to have sex? I’ll get sick with the coronavirus before HIV," she argued.