The Interior Ministry of Spain has announced that the closure of land borders with two Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla has been extended for another 15 days.
The Ministry stated that “The Government has decided to extend the closure of the land borders of Ceuta and Melilla with Morocco for another 15 days to finalize, within the framework of the bilateral work that is being carried out with Moroccan authorities, the exact details and mechanisms that will govern the next reopening of the crossings between the two countries.
According to the reports, Spain’s government’s announcement has extinguished citizens’ hopes that the route would be reopened after being closed for two years.
However, the Ministry of Interior has stressed that in this case, the extension period will be valid only for 15 days, so the conditions for gradual and orderly reopening of border posts at the entry and exit of both Ceuta and Melilla are concluded.
The borders of two Spanish enclaves were first closed in 2020 due to the rapid spread of the Coronavirus and its new variants. In addition, they remained closed during a diplomatic crisis last year between Madrid and Rabat.
The previous order of closure of borders with two Spanish enclaves, following the recommendations of the Council of the European Union due to the crisis caused by the Coronavirus, expired at midnight this Saturday, April 30.
According to the recent announcement of the Ministry of the Interior, the recent changes have been put in place on May 1 and will remain effective until May 15.
Authorities in Spain have announced that the number of persons who attempt to reach the Spanish enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta, and thus the European Union countries from Morocco, has marked a notable increase in the last few months.
