Los transfronterizos ya pueden pasar la frontera con Melilla

The normalisation of relations between Morocco and Spain continues to take steps forward with the gradual reopening of the borders in a "gradual" and "orderly" manner. The border of the autonomous community of Melilla with Morocco reopened its Beni Enzar crossing point 15 days ago, after it had been closed for 26 months.

This reopening allowed access, both entry and exit, for Spanish citizens, as well as foreigners with a residence permit and Schengen visa, which allows mobility through any territory belonging to the European Union. 

The second phase of the reopening began at midnight tonight. With this, Moroccan cross-border workers can now cross from one side to the other, but only those with valid documentation. According to the data provided by the Delegation of Melilla, only 80 of the 1,847 cross-border employees registered in 2020, have all the requirements to do so.

This may have been the reason why movement across borders has been lower compared to last time. Of the total number of these employees, most of them are domestic workers and service sector staff, who, having been unable to cross the border for more than two years, have seen their papers and documentation to be able to work in Spain expire.

Of the 80 who have their papers in order, most of them have stayed in Melilla to work during the pandemic. There have also been cases of employers who have continued to renew their employees' permits, so they have not cancelled them from the system during the last two years, which has facilitated their incorporation into the labour market.

However, cross-border workers who are not in this situation will be able to process the papers as an extension and not as an initial work permit. During this process, they will have to go through a series of formalities, from having to obtain a special visa at the Spanish Consulate in the city of Nador, which is only valid for one day, to be able to enter Melilla and start all the paperwork again, as well as all the fingerprinting necessary to obtain the foreigner's identity card (TIE).

This document is what identifies them as legally established cross-border workers, which would include the thousands of porters who used to move goods from one side to the other before the pandemic.

The return of these workers raises a new question mark over how it will affect unemployment in Melilla, as many companies and families who previously had cross-border employees under contract had to lay them off after the closure of the borders.

This issue, among others, is the one that has been on the table in the meetings held over the last few days between the Government Delegate and the Melilla Confederation of Employers (CEME-CEOE), as well as with the association of SMEs-Melilla. For the moment, no further details are known about this situation, but it is hoped that it can be remedied because thousands of jobs depend directly on this regulation.