Morocco Restricts Maritime Access for Boats from Spanish Enclave of Melilla

No boat from Melilla will be allowed to spend the night within 200 meters of the Moroccan coast. Boat owners must now go to the maritime captaincy of the port of Beni Ensar, to obtain a document authorizing them to go to the port of Nador. "It’s the same document they asked vehicles for before the pandemic," explain some sources in the sector to El Faro de Melilla.

The procedure takes an average of six hours. The boat must go to the port of Beni-Ensar to have an entry stamp and then return to the port of Atalayoum before obtaining a pass for Nador and an entry permit to Morocco, then return to Beni Ensar before going to Morocco. The document is valid for three months and allows the boat to moor at least 200 meters from the Moroccan coast without spending the night.

The owners of the boats from Melilla who usually go to Morocco (about 270, according to some sources) must also pay a fee to the port of Atalayoum. The measure will also be imposed on pleasure boats from 5 to 12 meters and jet skis. Morocco has taken this decision to fight against drug trafficking (cocaine) and illegal immigration from Melilla, it is said from Moroccan official sources.

For some analysts, the Moroccan decision is a response to the suspension of the visa exemption granted to the inhabitants of Nador who access the autonomous city. Others argue that it is part of the kingdom’s strategy to stifle Melilla. The decision comes at a time when Algeria has resumed its trade relations with Spain.