Spain’s Ceuta and Melilla Face Pressure as Morocco Escalates Territorial Claims

Morocco claims the belonging of Ceuta and Melilla to its territory and is deploying its strategy to force the Spanish government to negotiate, supports the Vox party which points out the development of the Moroccan border regions to the autonomous cities and denounces the economic blockade of which they are victims. The far-right party continues to question the Sánchez and Iglesias government on this issue and demands that it affirm its determination to defend the sovereignty of the autonomous cities.

The Vox national deputy from Ceuta, Teresa López, had already asked the government to pronounce on the air exclusion zone over Melilla that Morocco could claim. A situation which, if proven, would, according to her, restrict flights in the autonomous city, especially since an air base is installed near the city.

For the government, the situation is not as critical as the Vox deputies estimate. In response to their questions, it indicated that "air access to the aerodrome and heliport of the autonomous city of Melilla is done through the air corridor created for this purpose", recalling that "the vertical and horizontal limits are defined and published, permanently by Spain and Morocco on official aeronautical information channels (AIP)".