Upcoming Royal Visit to Ceuta and Melilla

King Felipe VI of Spain, alongside Queen Letizia, is set to visit the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa on October 13 and 14, marking the first royal visit to these cities since he ascended to the throne twelve years ago. This visit comes in the wake of significant tensions between Spain and Morocco, particularly following the influx of over 72,000 migrants into Ceuta from Morocco in late July, which escalated a border crisis and strained diplomatic relations between Madrid and Rabat.

Political Implications of the Visit

The visit is particularly contentious given Morocco's opposition to Spanish royal visits to Ceuta and Melilla, areas that Morocco claims sovereignty over, viewing them as occupied territories. Spain firmly maintains that these regions are an integral part of its territory, with historical control of Ceuta dating back to the 17th century and Melilla to the 15th century.

King Felipe has largely refrained from making public comments about the ongoing crisis at Ceuta, yet during a formal dinner honoring French President Emmanuel Macron, he expressed that European nations should demonstrate greater solidarity with Spain, labeling the situation in Ceuta as "unacceptable." Since the border crisis erupted, political discourse in Spain has focused significantly on Morocco's role, with opposition parties accusing Moroccan officials of complicity or negligence and criticizing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for what they perceive as leniency toward Rabat. Initially, Sánchez praised Moroccan cooperation in the repatriation of migrants, denying any Moroccan orchestration of the crisis. However, he later acknowledged, in an interview with CNN, that Moroccan border surveillance measures had faltered during the surge of arrivals.

Conversely, Morocco has denied any negligence, attributing the surge in crossings to misleading information spread via social media, human trafficking, and a misinterpretation of a Spanish court ruling that seemingly opened a legal loophole for maritime arrivals.

As reported by sawtbeirut.com.