Nearly 11,000 People Crossed the Borders of Ceuta-Morocco

Rabat – Since Tuesday’s border reopening, at least 10.815 people have crossed the border between the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and Morocco, according to El Faro Ceuta.
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, borders had remained closed since March 20, and reopened only on Tuesday at midnight.

According to the Government Delegation of Ceuta, nearly 6,607 people and 1,355 crossed the Tarajal border (Ceuta) to Bab Sebta (Morocco) in the last 48 hours. Also, about 4,208 and 1,076 vehicles crossed the gate in the opposite direction.

A significant number of Ceuta residents going to Morocco are visiting their families across the border. Citizens of the European Union and Moroccans with a visa or residence permit in the EU made up a significant portion of the transit volume.

During the first day after borders reopened, a total of 3,268 people and 840 vehicles entered Morocco, while 1,580 people and 504 cars visited Ceuta. However, both at the Tarajal border and Bab Sebta, there have been refusals due to the Covid-19 vaccination requirements, and the lack of valid PCR tests.

Read Also: Celebrations, Joy Greet Reopening of Moroccan Borders With Ceuta, Melilla
This is only the first phase of the reopening of the borders, which only allows people authorized to circulate in the Schengen area, EU citizens and residents to cross the border, if they fulfill the sanitary requirements.

As of May 31, legally recognized cross-border workers will as well be able to enter Spain through Tarajal in Ceuta, or via Beni Enzar in Melilla. People who have obtained a specific visa for both Spanish enclaves, could also cross the borders.

The borders were first closed in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, the diplomatic crisis between Rabat and Madrid on the issue of Western Sahara delayed their reopening.
Recently, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez recognized the Moroccan autonomy plan, which revived bilateral cooperation between Morocco and Spain, especially on migration. Despite the aforementioned progress, the reopening of the borders is still limited as it only concerns EU citizens and passport and visa holders from Schengen countries.