The Minister for Home Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, will this week sign the ministerial order on borders that will modify the one that has kept these crossing points closed since March 2020.
The reopening is the result of the bilateral work carried out with the Moroccan authorities in the framework of the roadmap agreed after the meeting between the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the King of Morocco, Mohamed IV, which has allowed the mechanisms that will govern the reopening - gradual, orderly and with all the guarantees of security and health - of the border crossings between the two countries to be established.
Given its gradual nature, the first phase of the reopening will begin at 00:00 on 17 May, at which time citizens and residents of the European Union and those authorised to move within the Schengen area will be able to enter Spanish territory through the El Tarajal crossing in Ceuta and Beni Enzar in Melilla.
In both categories, to access Ceuta and Melilla, it will be essential to meet the health requirements established by the Ministry of Health for these authorised border crossing points.
From Tuesday 31 May, legally recognised cross-border workers will also be able to enter Spanish territory.
Within this gradual process, the Spanish-Moroccan working groups will determine the following categories of persons and goods that will be able to access Ceuta and Melilla through the border with Morocco.
In addition, the border order to be issued by the Minister for Home Affairs extends all current restrictions on Spain's external land, sea and air borders under the recommendations of the Council of the European Union due to the health crisis caused by COVID-19 until 24:00 hours on 15 June 2022, and replaces the current one, which expired on Sunday 15 May.
As a complementary measure, and to guarantee security needs, the Ministry of Home Affairs has reinforced police forces in both Ceuta and Melilla.
Non official translation
