Everything is set for the reopening of customs facilities in Sebta (Ceuta) and Melilla enclaves; however, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has not provided a date by which this will occur, as reported during a press briefing on Thursday in Rabat, along with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita.
Bourita said that when the time comes, there will be a customs service with a bilateral framework, one which will not generate any type of frustration, but rather, will lead to an improvement in the situation.
He provided assurances that the project is not facing any roadblocks, and that the delay is indeed not “a problem of political will,” but rather, “a problem of technical implementation.”
Albares stated that all points of the 2023 declaration will be fulfilled, as he conveyed to Morocco that from the Spanish side, everything is ready to start operating. No further pilot tests are required on Spain’s part.
The Joint Declaration issued at the conclusion of the 12th Moroccan-Spanish High-Level Meeting in Rabat in early February, 2023, reiterated the two countries’ commitment to advance in an orderly manner toward the full normalization of the flow of people and of goods.
Rabat and Madrid conducted three tests this year at the Sebta and Melilla customs facilities on January 27, February 24, and May 26. The multiple technical issues discovered during the test conducted on January 27 have already been addressed.
The Melilla customs office has been closed since 2018.