HIBAPRESS: Mohamed Zariouh
Anticipation is growing in the occupied city of Melilla with the approaching start of the summer crossing operation "Marhaba 2026", as a cloud of ambiguity hangs over the future of commercial customs activity with Morocco during the peak period of border movement.
This atmosphere raises real questions for users and professionals about whether things will proceed as usual or face unexpected complications. Customs agents and professional actors in the city express their deep concerns about the possibility of repeating last year's scenario, when the temporary suspension of goods movement coincided with the flow of travelers, leading to great confusion.
They believe that any similar setback could cast a negative shadow on local commercial activity, which relies heavily on the smooth flow of movement across the crossing.
Current data indicate that the volume of trade through customs remains very limited, with movement restricted to isolated and infrequent operations, such as exporting shipments of household appliances or importing limited quantities of watermelon from Morocco. This modesty in the volume of exchange feeds a feeling among traders that customs has not yet regained its full operational capacity.
In this regard, representatives of customs clearance agencies confirm that they have not yet received any official signals or clarifications regarding the working situation during the crossing period. This lack of information imposes a state of uncertainty dominating the sector, which hinders companies' ability to plan their commercial operations in advance and puts them in a constant state of waiting.
Despite the assurances issued by the Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, during the past months, that customs in Melilla and Ceuta are operating normally, economic actors consider that the field reality is still below expectations. Their demands continue to be urgent for the need to provide practical clarifications regarding the procedures for regulating goods to ensure greater transparency in transactions.
This situation has prompted the Spanish General Council of Customs Agents and Representatives to warn against the continuation of the state of ambiguity, calling for the need to provide legal and administrative clarity that guarantees the smooth flow of commercial operations and protects the interests of professionals. The Council believes that the stability of customs activity requires more precise coordination away from seasonal or political fluctuations.
These demands are of great importance given that the "Marhaba 2026" operation is one of the largest human and logistical gatherings between the two sides of the Mediterranean. While the northern region of Morocco and southern Spain prepare to receive thousands of members of the community, the question remains whether this season will witness a commercial breakthrough or will remain hostage to the usual tensions.
