Spain, Morocco Reopen Land Borders after Two-year Closure

People arrive in Fnideq after the border with the Spanish enclave of Ceuta reopens after two years' closure due to Covid and a diplomatic row FADEL SENNA AFP
People arrive in Fnideq after the border with the Spanish enclave of Ceuta reopens after two years' closure due to Covid and a diplomatic row FADEL SENNA AFP
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Spain, Morocco Reopen Land Borders after Two-year Closure

People arrive in Fnideq after the border with the Spanish enclave of Ceuta reopens after two years' closure due to Covid and a diplomatic row FADEL SENNA AFP
People arrive in Fnideq after the border with the Spanish enclave of Ceuta reopens after two years' closure due to Covid and a diplomatic row FADEL SENNA AFP

Morocco and Spain have reopened the land borders between the north African country and the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, two years after they were shut due to Covid restrictions and a major diplomatic row.

The enclaves on the Mediterranean coast in northern Morocco have the European Union's only land borders with Africa, said AFP.

The gates opened shortly after 11:00 pm local time (2200 GMT) on Monday night, letting dozens of cars and queues of pedestrians pass in both directions.

At the Fnideq border post, smiles lit up the faces of the travelers crossing to see their families on the Moroccan side.

"I was stuck for two years in Ceuta, I'm very happy to be back home," said Nourredine.

"I am happy that Morocco and Spain have restored their relations, it allows us to see our families," said one man in his sixties.

The reopening of the borders of the two enclaves initially remains limited to residents of Europe's open-borders Schengen area and their family members.

It will be expanded to cross-border workers after May 31.

The local economies on both sides of the borders depend on the crossing of people and goods.

The Ceuta and Melilla crossings were closed during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020.

The borders became the focus of a major dispute last year, when Madrid allowed the leader of a Western Saharan independence movement to be treated for Covid-19 in a Spanish hospital.

In March this year, Spain moved to end the diplomatic crisis with Morocco by changing its decades-long stance of neutrality and backing the kingdom's autonomy plan for the Western Sahara, which Rabat insists must remain under its sovereignty.

Maritime travel between the two countries resumed on April 12.

Following their reconciliation, Morocco and Spain have committed to strengthening cooperation on irregular migration.

Morocco, which is one of Spain's major trade partners, plays a significant role in controlling the flow of migrants towards Europe.



Türkiye Says Israeli Raid on Gaza Aid Boat Violated International Law

A tug vessel puts out a fire on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla vessel Conscience off Malta on May 2, 2025. Malta Government Department of Information via Reuters
A tug vessel puts out a fire on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla vessel Conscience off Malta on May 2, 2025. Malta Government Department of Information via Reuters
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Türkiye Says Israeli Raid on Gaza Aid Boat Violated International Law

A tug vessel puts out a fire on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla vessel Conscience off Malta on May 2, 2025. Malta Government Department of Information via Reuters
A tug vessel puts out a fire on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla vessel Conscience off Malta on May 2, 2025. Malta Government Department of Information via Reuters

Türkiye on Monday condemned Israel's seizure of a Gaza-bound aid vessel which it said was carrying Turkish citizens as well as activist Greta Thunberg among its 12-strong crew, calling the move a "clear violation of international law".

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the intervention threatened maritime security and "once again demonstrates that Israel is acting as a terror state."

Israeli naval forces boarded and seized a charity vessel that had tried to break a naval blockade of the war-torn Gaza Strip on Monday and the boat with its crew of 12, including activist Greta Thunberg, is now heading to a port in Israel.

The British-flagged yacht, Madleen, which is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was aiming to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza later on Monday and raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there.