The two enclaves are growing impatient and are demanding the opening of commercial customs between Morocco and Spain. Now, it is the turn of customs officers to step up to denounce what they call the “ deterioration of their situation ” because of the delay in this file and implicitly points to Morocco’s “ responsibility ”.
Calls for the implementation of commercial customs between Morocco and the presidents are intensifying. It is the turn of the General Council of Customs Agents and Representatives (CCGA in Spanish) to break the silence. In a press release, the body which represents all the regional orders of Spanish customs officers expressed itself around what it calls the “ serious ” situation that its members stationed in the enclaves are going through due to the closure of the post at Mélilia and the non-opening of the first customs dependency at Sebta.
For this body, this situation has caused the “ deterioration ” of the economic and commercial fabric of the two cities since Morocco unilaterally closed the commercial customs of Mélilia in 2018 and “ drastically ” restricted passages at the checkpoint in Sebta, estimates this representative body.
In this regard, he stressed that the continued deterioration of the activity of customs agents at the president forced him to come out of his silence while specifying that, out of institutional loyalty, he adopted a low profile in the past to not disrupt the negotiations.
Now, he has decided to publicly denounce this situation “ which continues indefinitely.” A situation that has become unacceptable and contrary to what is expected of a European border .” In this sense, the council, therefore, called for immediate measures, considering to this effect that the “ optimistic public announcements ” of the Spanish and Moroccan governments on the progress made and the imminent resolution of the problems, no longer convince anyone.
This latest cry of distress adds to the multiple admonitions from opposition parties addressed to Sanchez on the subject of customs. Their goal is none other than to make both countries uncomfortable. Neither Rabat nor Madrid are fooled: the stakes are enormous for both parties and these customs posts are a wild card, so to speak.
In the case of Morocco, this issue is highly strategic. If the Moroccan authorities are taking their time, it is to obtain major progress on the files consolidating the current Spanish position vis-à-vis the Sahara file. On the other side of the border, the resumption of customs activity and its entry into service in the case of Sebta is, in addition to its undeniable commercial contribution, a process loaded with symbols. This is a big step to establish the Hispanicness of the two presidents.
