Heba Press: Abdel Salam Belgarbi, Mohamed Zariyouh
The occupied city of Melilla has been facing a severe economic crisis since Morocco decided to permanently end “livelihood smuggling” in 2018, a measure that has had a significant negative impact on economic activity that depends transport of goods across the Moroccan border.
Faced with this crisis, the Spanish Popular Party (PP) called for finding economic alternatives for Melilla, far from its dependence on trade with Morocco. Sofia Asiadu, party representative, explained that the current objective of the Melilla government is to build an economy independent of Morocco, expressing dissatisfaction with what she described as Morocco’s failure to fulfill its obligations to reopen customs crossings with Ceuta and Melilla.
Asiadu said the closure of the crossings has further worsened economic conditions in the city, accusing Morocco of deliberately preventing the entry of goods from Melilla. He also criticized the government of Pedro Sánchez for not having adopted a firmer stance in the face of requests to reopen customs, believing that the change in position of the Spanish government on the issue of the Moroccan Sahara did not contribute to improving the situation economy of the city.
In these circumstances, voices are being raised in Melilla to seek alternative economic solutions while excluding the possibility of returning to “subsistence smuggling” as a means of revitalizing the city’s economy.
