Most migrants who try to cross are intercepted and sent back to Morocco and those who make it over the fences are usually repatriated in due course. Rabat began to enforce restrictions at the Ceuta border Tarajal II gate in October 2019 and closed the Melilla border nearly 20 months ago. During the period of Iberian Union (1580-1640) Ceuta attracted many Spanish settlers; as a result, when Portugal regained its independence from Spain in 1640 Ceuta opted to remain with Spain, a situation Portugal acquiesced to in 1688 with the Treaty of Lisbon. The Morocco–Spain border consists of three non-contiguous lines totalling 18.5 km (11.5 m) around the Spanish territories of Ceuta (8 km), Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera (75 metres) and Melilla (10.5 km). In Ceuta alone, 25 migrants have been treated for cuts sustained on the barbed wire so far this year. [3][4], Repeated Moroccan attempts to wrest back control of the two exclaves by force during the 18th-19th centuries failed, culminating in the Hispano-Moroccan War of 1859-60, which resulted in a Spanish victory. [1], In 1993 Spain began building the Ceuta border fence and Melilla border fence, which were further strengthened in 1995.

Four of the patients had traveled to Morocco from France, while two came from Italy, and the most recent patient had traveled from Spain.

[1][7][8], In 1934 a huge storm created a tombolo between Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera and the Moroccan mainland, effectively making the former island a new Spanish exclave on the coast of Morocco. Transport. [1] Retaken by the Kingdom of Fez in 1554, Spain reconquered it in 1564, and it has remained in Spanish hands since that time. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. Lakhdar emphasized that Morocco was forced to turn to “radical” solutions to “permanently” put an end to contraband border crossings with Melilla and Ceuta. These three exclaves form part of Spain's plazas de soberanía, which also includes a number of small islands off the Moroccan coast. A further 100 also tried to climb the fence but Spanish agents sent them straight back to Morocco. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year, The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos, Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija, A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija, Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos, An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey, A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos, A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey, Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija, People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija.

Border trade between Ceuta and Morocco is active because of advantage of tax-free status. A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany, Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. The land borders between Morocco and the two Spanish enclaves are some of the busiest in Africa, with nearly 25 million crossings annually. Last month, 400 migrants stormed the fence at Ceuta.

The decision is part of the Moroccan government’s program to prevent the spread of the virus in the North African country. Morocco World News: Championing Free Speech and Thoughtful Debate Through Journalistic Excellence. It was then settled by many people from all over Spain and when Morocco won independence in 1956 Madrid claimed Ceuta and Melilla had to remain part of their country as they were integral parts of the Spanish state. [2] Following the Reconquista of the Iberian peninsula, Spain looked south to the North African coast, capturing Melilla from the Sultanate of Fez in 1497, with Portugal’s blessing. Ceuta border fence Last updated March 08, 2020. Rabat’s decision to clamp down on the informal trade came after Morocco recorded a hemorrhage of tax and customs duties from informal smuggling, causing the country to lose millions of euros every year. The spokesman said two people managed to climb over the fence and reach Spanish soil. Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back.

A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. Although this may seem daunting to you, it is a pain-free process with the assistance of our bilingual drivers who make the crossing regularly. Dozens of border guards have been injured as more than 1,000 African migrants attempted to storm the fence guarding the small Spanish enclave of Ceuta on the Moroccan coastline. Meanwhile, El Confidencial claimed: “Rabat did not officially announce the decision, because it does not recognize Spain’s sovereignty over both cities, but Moroccan agents stationed at the borders did notify their Spanish counterparts on Thursday afternoon.”.

Moroccan dirham is actually used in such trade, despite the fact that prices are marked in euro. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. A regional spokesman said 50 Moroccan and five Spanish guards had been injured when the migrants, who are believed to have been staying illegally in Morocco, attempted to force their way in the city – which, along with Melilla, is one of two remaining Spanish-controlled territories on the African mainland. However, the official Twitter account for the autonomous government of Melilla published an urgent announcement late Thursday night, informing citizens “from 6 am the Beni Enzar border will be closed, so it is recommended that all Melilla citizens who are in Morocco return to the city as soon as possible.”.

Representatives of the two enclaves met in January to put together a plan to strengthen their economies and “respond energetically” to Morocco’s attempt to “suffocate” the cities, the spokesperson for the government of Melilla announced in January.

[1] However Spain maintained control of the plazas de soberanía, asserting that they were Spanish territory long before the creation of the protectorate in 1912 and should therefore remain part of Spain, a position bitterly contested by Morocco. Late on Thursday night, March 12, RTVE reported, “Morocco has declared the closure of the land border,” saying it would take effect at 6 a.m. The presidents of the autonomous cities acknowledged that the enclaves are going through “moments of difficulty.” They said the “attitude of the neighboring country is not positive for our two cities,” reported Melillahoy in January. One patient, an 89-year-old woman, died. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later?

A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos, A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said, Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Attempted border crossings by migrants has decreased at both Melilla and Ceuta since its peak in 2015–2016; arrivals are down twenty-five percent since 2018. [1] Spain took the then-island of Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera by force in 1508, with Portugal recognising this claim the following year with the Treaty of Cintra. When Morocco gained independence from France in 1956, Spanish Morocco was handed to the new kingdom. [9], Since Moroccan independence the dispute over the plazas de soberanía has flared up from time-to-time, most notably in 1975 when it was feared Morocco would attempt an invasion of the territories similar to the one conducted that year in Western Sahara. [3][1] A treaty outlining the Melilla-Morocco boundary, replete with a parallel ‘neutral zone’, was signed 24 August 1859. The official websites of the autonomous governments of the two cities have not published any notices of the alleged closure.