As Ceuta and Melilla once again become the focus of tensions between Rabat and Madrid, an old Moroccan Official Bulletin states the Kingdom’s position without beating around the bush: Moroccan territories, Spanish occupation and the desire to recover them.
Gasoline loaded in the United Kingdom and several European countries is reportedly transiting through Tanger Med before being re-exported to Russia. An analysis of tanker movements reveals a much broader circuit than the first 30,000-ton shipment disclosed in July.
The European Commission is maintaining its support for Morocco in managing migration despite the Ceuta crisis. However, the 500 million euro package covers the entire 2021-2027 period: it is not new aid decided after the July crossings.
The Ceuta crisis has severely damaged Morocco’s image in Spain. Yet only 3.1% of Spaniards want to suspend diplomatic relations with Rabat. European intervention or immediate returns at the border receive far more support.
Sardines are becoming difficult to find in several major German retail chains. Aldi Nord, Rewe, Lidl and Kaufland acknowledge occasional shortages. The reasons are the decline in catches in Morocco and the suspension of frozen sardine exports.
The highest-ranking operational official in the Spanish armed forces visited Melilla, then Ceuta. Officially there to thank the military personnel, Teodoro López Calderón appeared in both cities amid a period of tensions between Madrid and Rabat.
Automotive, textiles, agriculture: 17,000 Spanish companies work with Morocco, and more than 350 have a permanent presence there. After the Ceuta crisis, any sanctions against Rabat would therefore risk directly hurting the Spanish economy.
The Ceuta crisis is beginning to affect Moroccan tourism. Spanish agencies are not yet seeing mass cancellations, but they are recording a slowdown in new bookings to Morocco. Latin American travelers, meanwhile, continue to book as usual.
The next avocado campaign could begin as early as the second half of September in Larache. With higher yields, more large-sized fruit and new packing stations, the local sector hopes to erase a difficult season and regain ground in Europe.
Moroccan travelers heading to Europe for a short stay could face longer waits at the borders starting Monday, September 7. The exemption allowing biometric checks to be temporarily suspended when queues become unmanageable is due to end.
Ceuta and Melilla will remain Spanish “until the end of time,” Pedro Sánchez promises. On the same day, Nizar Baraka asserts that Morocco will not retreat “a single centimeter.” The two partners are now publicly displaying completely opposing territorial positions.
Pedro Sánchez told Parliament that he had summoned Morocco’s ambassador to protest statements about Ceuta and Melilla. Spain’s Foreign Ministry later acknowledged that Karima Benyaich was absent and that another diplomat had attended the meeting.