Spain, Morocco reopen land borders after two-year closure

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.

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

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.

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 flows of migrants towards Europe.