Spanish PM Calls on Morocco to Respect Joint Border

Arab World

May 26th, 5:52am

Rabat - Asharq Al-Awsat

Migrants avoid the Moroccan police as they try to reach the border between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on May 18, 2021 in Fnideq. (AFP)

Almost a week after 8,000 migrants reached the North African enclave of Ceuta, Madrid called on Rabat to respect the two countries’ joint borders. “The neighbor (Morocco) needs to control its borders,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said. “We’re talking about Spanish cities, about European borders, and this must be respected.” Sanchez also emphasized the close ties between Morocco and Spain. “Morocco cannot forget something fundamental: within the European Union it has no better partner than Spain when it comes to defending strategic interests crucial for Morocco and very necessary for the EU,” he told reporters after a European Council meeting. The comments came days after thousands of migrants swam into or attempted to breach the borders separating Ceuta and Melilla from Morocco. Spain has sent the vast majority of the 8,500 migrants who crossed en masse back to Morocco, but some 800 hundred unaccompanied minors remain in Ceuta.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2992691/spanish-pm-calls-morocco-respect-joint-border