Spanish Enclaves Spark Political Clash Over Morocco’s Territorial Claims

The PSOE parliamentary group deputy in the Melilla Assembly, Rafael Robles, deplored that Juan José Imbroda (PP) "constantly behaves like a spokesman for claims that go against the interests of Melilla and Spain," adding that "Morocco has found in Juan José Imbroda its best ally."

"Ceuta and Melilla are Spain and always will be. They are as Spanish as Oviedo, Santander, Zamora or Valencia: this is beyond doubt for the government and for almost the entire Spanish people, with the exception of the PP," insisted Robles, also demanding that Pedro Sanchez’s government formally protest against Morocco for the publication, on the website of the Moroccan embassy in Madrid, of a Moroccan map integrating the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla.

In response, Juan José Imbroda first reiterated his demand that the Spanish government "formally protest" against Morocco for the integration of the two presidios on a Moroccan map, denouncing an attack on Spanish territorial integrity and "a new hostile aggression by Morocco against Spain."

The President of Melilla called on the Spanish Executive to react, recalling that Melilla will celebrate on September 17 "its 526 years of belonging to Spain, 459 years before the independence of Morocco in 1956." Imbroda also regretted that the socialists "swallow everything" from Morocco, citing as an example "the disappearance of 300 million euros for the expansion of the Port, the closure of commercial customs, the loss of the customs regime for travelers, the elimination of the 50% social security bonus and now the acceptance of a map of Morocco with Melilla."