• Interior Spain and Morocco agree to reopen the borders of Ceuta and Melilla on May 17, the anniversary of the wave of immigrants

  • Direct witness The Tarajal border in Ceuta reopens more than two years later

Spain

and

Morocco

will meet next Tuesday, June 7, in

Madrid

to complete the process of reopening the border between the two countries and thus establish the modalities and timetable for the completion of the process of normalization of people and goods through the two land posts started on May 17 this year.

This has been confirmed in a statement by the

Ministry of the Interior

, which has explained that the meeting will take place within the framework of the application of the commitments of the joint declaration of April 7, the date on which the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, met in

Rabat

with the King of Morocco, Mohamed VI, in order to close the diplomatic crisis and start a new stage in the relationship as a result of Spanish support for the Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara.

"In particular with regard to the normalization of the movement of people and goods, through customs and people control systems," the Ministry has clarified.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, indicated on May 11 after his meeting in Morocco with his counterpart

Naser Burita

that the reopening of the border, which was closed in March 2020 due to the pandemic, it would be in an "orderly, gradual way, so that it is really of mutual benefit".

Thus, on May 17, the land borders of

Ceuta

and

Melilla

with Morocco opened in a first phase restricted to citizens of the

European Union

and with permission to circulate in Schengen territory within the gradual reopening agreed between both countries to avoid incidents.

Subsequently, on May 31, the second phase was opened in which legally recognized cross-border workers can enter Spanish territory through these same border crossings, as well as those who, due to the expiration of the card that accredits them as such, have obtained a specific visa for Ceuta and Melilla.

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  • Morocco

  • Ceuta

  • Melilla

  • Occidental Sahara

  • Mohammed VI

  • Pedro Sanchez

  • immigration