
Gibraltar Tunnel Project Threatens Ceuta's Economy and Tourism
The construction of a tunnel connecting Morocco and Spain via the Strait of Gibraltar would have serious consequences for Ceuta, which would become a marginalized city.

The construction of a tunnel connecting Morocco and Spain via the Strait of Gibraltar would have serious consequences for Ceuta, which would become a marginalized city.

The IKEA store in the commercial area located between Tetouan and M’diq, near Ceuta, opened its doors on Tuesday, raising concerns among the residents of the autonomous city who have always deplored the economic blockade of Morocco.

In his book titled "Soldados", retired General Juan Carlos Domingo Guerra claims that Spain should prepare to face threats from the south, particularly from Morocco, which claims the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla .

Maritime traffic is gradually returning to normal in the Strait of Gibraltar, shaken since Friday by storms and wind gusts . The port of Algeciras has resumed its links with Tanger Med and Ceuta this Sunday, while the port of Tarifa remains closed until further notice.

Having started its work last June, the "Temporary Exploratory Mission at the Northern Border Crossings, Operation Marhaba 2022", set up by the Committee on Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Islamic Affairs and Moroccans Residing Abroad of the Parliament, has submitted its report which contains many recommendations aimed at improving the conditions for the passage of Moroccans Residing Abroad (MREs).

The trial against two Ceuta police officers, accused of having beaten three Moroccan women with their batons on December 10 after Morocco’s victory over Portugal, opened on Tuesday before the investigating court of the city. The prosecution requested a fine of eight euros per day for three months against one of them.

National police agents in Ceuta arrested on Monday three young people (including a minor and a woman), accused of the murder of Mohamed Ali Lamsseyeh, 17, which occurred in the García Aldave neighborhood a year ago.

The Civil Guard of Ceuta found on Tuesday the lifeless body of a young Moroccan migrant on the Ribera beach, not far from the city center, where it had drifted after being swept away by the strong current of the sea recorded in recent days.

The Ceuta police questioned 50 people and viewed all the surveillance cameras in the Loma Colmenar neighborhood where little Mohamed, 8 years old, was found dead on December 19 , before arresting his alleged murderer and sexual assailant a month later.

On the eve of the High-Level Meeting between Spain and Morocco scheduled for February 1 and 2 in Rabat, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, reiterated the "Spanishness" of Ceuta and Melilla.

Spain has tightened border controls in Ceuta and Melilla for Moroccans, significantly reducing the number of travelers from the kingdom to the autonomous cities.

The president of Vox Ceuta, Juan Sergio Redondo, says he expects nothing positive from the high-level meeting between Spain and Morocco scheduled for February 1 and 2 in Rabat. According to him, Morocco has no intention of renouncing its policy of blockade against Ceuta and Melilla.