Spanish PM Visits Morocco to Mend Ties Amid Sahara Dispute and Migration Concerns

Pedro Sanchez’s visit to Rabat this Thursday marks the first official step in the resumption of relations between Spain and Morocco after more than a year of diplomatic crisis, with the Sahara issue as a backdrop. In a letter dated March 14, President Sanchez expressed to King Mohammed VI his support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara, thus putting an end to a crisis that had become "untenable" for Spain. However, several potential sources of conflict persist between the two countries and will undoubtedly be at the heart of the exchanges between Sanchez and the Moroccan monarch, according to El Periodico de España.

To read: Spanish PM Sanchez to Make Two-Day Official Visit to Morocco

First of all, the reopening of borders. Morocco has kept its borders with Ceuta and Melilla closed since the beginning of the pandemic, which has seriously affected the economy of the two autonomous cities and the neighboring Moroccan cities. Spain wants a "controlled" reopening of the borders so that the free movement of people and goods between the two countries can be restored. The reopening of maritime borders, with the resumption of Operation Marhaba, canceled in 2020 and 2021, will also be negotiated to allow Moroccans in Europe to travel through the ports of Algeciras, Almería and Tarifa to reach Morocco during these summer holidays.

To read: Morocco’s King Mohammed VI to Host Spanish PM Sanchez, Ending Diplomatic Rift

Morocco’s claims on Ceuta and Melilla will also be at the heart of the discussions. In its new national security strategy, Spain has already planned to implement a comprehensive security plan for the two enclaves. But it fears that Morocco will continue to claim the two cities, especially when it has obtained the Sahara. This is why Pedro Sanchez, in his letter of March 14, insisted on the "territorial integrity" of the two countries, stressing the need to face "common challenges together, particularly the management of migratory flows in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, in a spirit of total collaboration". During this visit, he wants to obtain a written commitment from Mohammed VI on this issue.

To read: Spanish PM Sanchez to Visit Morocco, Aims to Strengthen Bilateral Ties

Pedro Sanchez does not want to experience again the massive influx of migrants to Ceuta like those recorded in May last year, or the assaults of migrants on Melilla like those known in early March. "Our objective is to build a new relationship, based on transparency and permanent communication, mutual respect and the agreements signed by the two parties and refraining from any unilateral action...", he indicated in his letter to Mohammed VI. Let’s hope that these exchanges will lead to good resolutions.