Roughly 600 residents of Ceuta took to the streets on Sunday, 27 September, walking the three-kilometre stretch from the Delegación del Gobierno to the El Tarajal crossing with Morocco. Waving Spanish flags emblazoned with the slogan “No es inmigración, es una invasión”, demonstrators called on the central government to reinforce the land border and “return the city to normality”. The protest, organised by several neighbourhood associations, is the latest civic action to erupt after July’s unprecedented influx of more than 70,000 migrants. Participants accused Madrid of moving too slowly to deploy additional Guardia Civil units and to expedite returns under the 1992 bilateral readmission treaty with Rabat. Traffic was briefly blocked when marchers sat on the main access road to the checkpoint, though no clashes were reported. For companies operating in Ceuta’s import-export corridor, the demonstration is a reminder that the enclave’s sole land border remains a flashpoint. Any tightening of checks could slow the flow of goods and commuters that normally transit the gate—around 4,000 crossings per day in pre-crisis times—affecting supply chains that link Spanish wholesalers to Moroccan markets. Policy analysts note that local pressure could accelerate regulatory changes now being drafted in Madrid, including a proposal to reclassify Ceuta and Melilla as “special Schengen control zones” with enhanced police powers. If adopted, business travellers from non-EU countries might face longer screening times and new entry-exit record requirements similar to the EU’s forthcoming EES system. Mobility managers should brief staff on potential delays at El Tarajal over the coming weeks. Employers may also wish to review contingency plans for routing freight via Algeciras if land traffic slows further.
Source: Europa Press
