Spanish Enclaves Ceuta and Melilla Face Economic Crisis Amid Moroccan Border Tensions

Since 2018, Morocco has unilaterally closed its borders with the two cities, without even informing the Spanish authorities who, for their part, remained silent for several weeks, writes Ignacio Cembrero on Elconfidencial.

The list of measures that Rabat has taken in recent years to asphyxiate the two autonomous cities is long. But it is to be observed that Ceuta, close to Tangier, a very developed Moroccan region, has not been able to take advantage of this proximity. The reality is that neither the Moroccan authorities nor the Spanish governments have worked for this cause. Ceuta could have had an airport for joint use on Moroccan territory, just as Rabat would have gained by opening a commercial customs office to legally export from the city. But alas!

The commercial customs office of Melilla, open since 1866, was closed by Morocco on August 1, 2018, without the advice of the Spanish government which did not protest. Since last summer, the Moroccan customs no longer even accept that the companies of Melilla export to Morocco via Malaga or Almería. Better, European goods are not exempt, making the products expensive and uncompetitive.

In Ceuta, Rabat closed the border to smuggling on October 7, 2019, without consulting the Spanish government. This unilateral decision had a huge impact on the city, the volume of irregular exports having reached 750 million euros.

In total, the solution to the problems of Ceuta and Melilla is for Morocco to review its foreign policy regarding these cities. According to the journalist, the leaders, businessmen and civil society of Ceuta and Melilla must demand that the central government stop fearing Morocco and fight for the opening of land borders and the free movement of people and goods.