Morocco Halts Repatriation from Ceuta as COVID-19 Cases Rise

Morocco ended, on Sunday, May 24, the repatriation operations from the Ceuta enclave, after three successive waves. According to some Spanish sources, the "reappearance of positive Covid-19 cases over the past two weeks" would be the basis of this decision.

"Morocco will not carry out any additional repatriation," as long as the epidemiological situation does not improve in the enclave which, as of June 6, has 38 positive cases, it is specified.

But the increase in positive coronavirus cases would not be the only cause of this suspension. Other sources add "the improvisation and the mess" of the Spanish local government in the implementation of the repatriation operations, particularly at the level of the lists of repatriates drawn up by Morocco.

The enclave modifies these lists at will, drawn up in agreement with Morocco, to have irregular migrants and other nationals repatriated. The Moroccan authorities, after discovering the deception, suspended the repatriation operation carried out on May 23. After a sorting, they finally proceeded to repatriate 28 people.

To recall, after Melilla and Ceuta, Morocco has twice carried out the repatriation of its nationals stranded in Algeria. Five positive Covid-19 cases were recorded in the second wave, the regional health department of the Oriental announced on Saturday.