A guard tower overlooking the border fence encircling Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, which lies on the Strait of Gibraltar, surrounded by Morocco. AFP
A guard tower overlooking the border fence encircling Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, which lies on the Strait of Gibraltar, surrounded by Morocco. AFP
A guard tower overlooking the border fence encircling Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, which lies on the Strait of Gibraltar, surrounded by Morocco. AFP
The reopening will start gradually from May 17, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told reporters on Thursday.
Crossings will be initially limited to residents of Europe's passport-free Schengen area and their family members. They will be expanded to cross-border workers by the end of the month.
The Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla sit on the northern shores of Morocco's Mediterranean coast. Together they form the EU's only land borders with Africa.
Thursday's announcement came as Madrid and Rabat are working to mend relations after a months-long spat, mainly over migrants coming from Morocco.
The two cities have long been a flashpoint in the diplomatic relations between both countries.
Madrid asserts that both territories are integral parts of Spain. The two cities were granted self-government and regarded autonomous in 1995.
Tensions soared in the summer of last year after thousands of migrants crossed into Ceuta from Morocco through land borders and the city’s main maritime entry point in the south. Spain then deployed troops to restore order and sent back a large number of migrants to Morocco.
The European country says it will deal firmly with illegal crossings and crack down on people smuggling gangs.
A man is held by soldiers of the Spanish Army at the border of Morocco and Spain at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. A record 6,000 migrants entered Ceuta illegally on Monday, 1,500 of whom were minors. AP Photo
A Spanish soldier helps a migrant as troops are deployed along the coast in Ceuta. EPA
Migrants manage to grab onto a boat of the Moroccan authorities near the coast of Fnideq in an attempt to cross over to Ceuta. EPA
A Spanish Civil Guard holds onto a migrant who swam onto the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. AFP
A Spanish soldier stands in front of Moroccan migrants. Reuters
Red Cross members and Spanish soldiers carry a migrant into an ambulance. AFP
Spanish officers try to stop people swimming into Spanish territory at Ceuta. AP Photo
Moroccan migrants climb up a rocky cliffside in the northern town of Fnideq as they attempt to cross the border from Morocco to Ceuta. AFP
Moroccan migrants walk into shallow waters in the northern town of Fnideq. AFP
Two migrants are met by a Spanish civil guard in Ceuta. Reuters
Hundreds of young Moroccans wait to cross the border with Spain. EPA
About 3,000 Moroccan citizens illegally entered Spain's north African enclave of Ceuta. AFP
Spain says it will return anyone from the country who illegally enters its north African enclave by water. AFP
Before the pandemic, Ceuta and Melilla used to attract traders and workers as local economics depend on the cross-border movement of goods. Most of the migrants are said to be from Morocco.
Spain’s decision to open the borders of Ceuta and Melilla with Morocco also comes after signs of a thaw in relations over Western Sarah, a former Spanish colony claimed by Morocco in 1976.
On March 18, the Spanish government announced publicly and for the first time its support to a 2007 initiative taken by Morocco to grant the disputed Western Sarah autonomy.
It described the Moroccan plan as the “serious and credible” effort taken so far to resolve the dispute.
That decision was a reversal of Spain’s longstanding position of neutrality on the region, a sparsely populated desert area situated on the northwest coast of Africa.
Moroccan King Mohammed VI, centre, with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, second left, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, second right, Prince Moulay Rachid, the king's brother, right, and Morocco's Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, left, before an Iftar meal at the King Royal residence in Sale, Morocco, in April 7. Royal Palace/AP
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI decided then to send back the Moroccan ambassador to Spain 10 months after she was recalled and hosting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in an April visit to Rabat.
Morocco administers around 80 per cent of the 266,000 square kilometres of the sparsely populated desert region with the remainder held by the Algerian supported the self-declared Sahrawi Arab Republic founded by the Polisario Front.
The Polisario waged a guerrilla war against Moroccan troops until a UN-brokered ceasefire in 1991.
Rabat is offering to grant Western Sahara autonomy, while Polisario is demanding a referendum on full independence.
The breakaway state is not recognised by the UN and Morocco’s claim to the region is supported by a number of Arab and African states.
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