Spain Considers Ending Visa-Free Entry for Moroccans at Ceuta and Melilla Borders

Are the residents of the provinces of Tetouan and Nador collateral victims of the Morocco-Spain tensions? During a visit to Ceuta, the Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union, Juan Gonzalez-Barba, told the Spanish press that the Spanish government is considering "abolishing the special regime for the autonomous cities (of Ceuta and Melilla) provided for upon Spain’s accession to the Schengen area".

"In this way, border control would be carried out at the crossing with Morocco" and not in the port, explained the Spanish official. According to him, this is "a matter of enormous importance that requires maximum consensus both in the city and among the national political forces". Juan Gonzalez-Barba explained that the migration crisis in Ceuta is at the origin of this measure which will be taken in the next few days.

Sources close to the Spanish government provide a completely different explanation. They claim that Spain intends to opt for a "shared prosperity area" around the two cities, applying the same model as that negotiated with the United Kingdom for Gibraltar. Juan Gonzalez-Barba also said that the Spanish government is currently studying the possibility of asking the EU for the entry of the two autonomous cities into the European Customs Union and the conditions for updating and reforming its special economic and fiscal regime (REF).