The turn taken by Spain in 2022 in favor of Morocco in the conflict over Western Sahara, in which it considered the Moroccan proposal for autonomy as “the most serious, credible and realistic basis” for the solution of the conflict, has led to a cordial agreement. on both shores of the Strait.
After long months of bilateral crisis, sparked precisely by the admission of the leader of the Polisario Front, Brahim Gali, to a hospital in Logroño to be treated for a serious infection during the pandemic, the rise of diplomatic and economic relations was confirmed at the meeting high-level meeting (RAN) held a year ago in Rabat by both governments.
King Mohamed VI and the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, who, as confirmed by the Government, plan to meet again this Wednesday in Rabat, had sealed a roadmap that included as a cornerstone the implementation of customs on the borders of Ceuta - again plant—and Melilla, which has remained closed since 2018. But nearly two years later, the commercial terminals have still not come into operation, despite the pilot tests carried out since January 2023 and the fact that their opening had been planned before the RAN.
Absent from the Maghreb country during the February 2023 summit, King Mohamed VI then promised Sánchez by telephone, when the head of the Government was already in the Moroccan capital, that he would receive him in person as soon as possible.
The electoral period that Spain entered shortly after, however, postponed the meeting.
The monarch of the Alawite dynasty usually spends an extended winter vacation outside his country.
Last December, after a visit to the United Arab Emirates to negotiate the financing of investment plans in Morocco, he began a stay in the Seychelles islands, in the Indian Ocean, which he later extended to Zanzibar, off the eastern African coast, according to the press. Moroccan.
In his capacity as Commander of the Believers, the sovereign returns to Morocco before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which this year is scheduled to begin on March 11
Minister Albares, who accompanies the president on his trip this Wednesday, already confirmed on December 14 in Rabat, in his first bilateral visit of the new legislature, the good state of a bilateral relationship that “has never been so intense and fruitful.” like right now,” according to what he said before his Moroccan counterpart, Naser Burita.
He then committed to complying with the roadmap.
In an interview with EL PAÍS before his previous visit to Morocco, the head of Spanish diplomacy had highlighted “the desire for it to be fulfilled in its entirety.”
While the blockade on the opening of commercial customs continues over time, Spain, Morocco's largest trading partner, also aspires to lead investment plans.
Despite the economic setback caused by the violent earthquake last September in the south of the country, the Rabat Government is tackling an infrastructure modernization program with a horizon set in 2030.
The renovation of the railways is one of the main ones, and for this purpose Mohamed VI traveled to the United Arab Emirates on December 5, in order to agree on a dozen project financing plans and the acquisition of new trains, including high-speed ones. speed, for an amount of 1,465 million euros.
Among the companies interested in the award are the Spanish Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) and Talgo.
Programs related to water—desalination plants and irrigation—are also a priority for Morocco's economy, which has been suffering from a serious drought for three years.
The Spanish group Acciona has been commissioned to build and operate, together with two Moroccan companies, the new Casablanca mega desalination plant, budgeted at 800 million euros, intended for the seven million inhabitants of the largest metropolitan area of the Maghreb country.
As icing on the cake of the apparent honeymoon in bilateral relations, the joint organization of the 2030 Soccer World Cup has strengthened the understanding between Spain and Morocco in recent months.
Immigration and drug boats
The fight against irregular immigration is a priority on the bilateral agenda, although, on this occasion, Morocco is not the biggest cause for concern.
Since Pedro Sánchez supported the Moroccan solution for Western Sahara, greater collaboration has been noted on migration matters.
Although Moroccans continue to be the largest nationality among immigrants who enter irregularly, with more than 14,000 people, there is greater control by the security forces.
On the migratory route to the Canary Islands, the main departure point for boats is now Mauritania and Senegal already was, relegating Morocco and Western Sahara to a much more secondary role than usual.
According to internal data, the Royal Navy intercepts 40% of emigrants who embark to the islands, a high percentage compared to other times.
Another issue is the north of the country, where more control has been exercised since 2018, but where several problems converge.
Arrivals from northern Morocco to the Peninsula last year doubled compared to 2022 and interceptions by Moroccans in this area slightly exceed 10%, according to police sources.
The emergence of drug boats that combine drug trafficking with immigrant trafficking has had a lot to do with these figures.
In just one year, more than 200 boats of this type have been registered that picked up immigrants on the Moroccan coast and dropped them near the Spanish shore using violence that has caused several deaths.
The activity of these mafias is a particularly sensitive issue for Spain at this time, not only because of immigration, but because of the recent incident in which one of these boats ran over a Civil Guard patrol boat, killing two agents.
An episode that has revealed the growing strength of traffickers who do business between the two shores.
Ceuta is also experiencing a delicate moment, after many months of a certain calm.
The president of the city, the popular Juan Jesús Vivas, asked the Government this Tuesday to “help” the autonomous city, in the face of growing migratory pressure.
So far this year, more than a hundred undocumented minors have arrived, mostly by swimming, from the coast of Morocco.
On the other hand, Sánchez's visit coincides with a series of raids against sub-Saharan migrants settled in Casablanca.
The security forces are dismantling the camps where sub-Saharan communities are installed, forcing them to get on buses to take them to cities far from urban centers.
In one of these operations, a charred body was found after a fire had broken out.
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