Moroccans in Spanish Enclave Protest Border Closure, Urge King to Reopen

The Moroccans of Melilla have asked the Spanish and Moroccan governments, and in particular King Mohammed VI, to reopen the borders, reports Diarioarea, which specifies that the demonstration, which saw the participation of people of all ages, took place peacefully and without incident. The protesters chanted slogans such as "Spain-Morocco, united countries". "If Moroccans living in Europe have the right to see their family, those living in Melilla deserve it too," said one of the demonstrators.

[See: Article 82388]

Videos of the demonstration were also posted on social media. In these videos, the Moroccans of Melilla addressed King Mohammed VI in Arabic to ask for the reopening of the borders, or failing that, at least "a humanitarian corridor" at the Beni-Enzar border. As arguments, they cite the improvement of the epidemiological situation in the autonomous city, with a significant decrease in active Covid-19 cases and a vaccination rate of 41% for the first dose and 31% for the second dose.

Morocco has canceled Operation Marhaba 2021, effectively excluding Spanish ports. Moroccans residing abroad (MREs) and particularly in Europe are authorized to return to Morocco via the ports of Sète in France and Genoa in Italy. On the instructions of King Mohammed VI, ticket prices have been revised downwards to facilitate the return of a large number of MREs who have not seen their loved ones for two years.