Ceuta's economy suffers a devastating blow following the massive entry of Moroccan vessels. With a drastic drop in income and hundreds of jobs lost, the commercial and tourism sector is on the brink of collapse while freelancers survive by using their personal savings.

The economic impact in Ceuta has reached critical levels. According to data revealed in the IV Spanish Economic Forum in Ceuta, the city faces an unprecedented financial drain due to the crisis generated by the massive entry of vessels coming from Morocco.

Alarming figure: Economic losses already amount to 67 million euros, representing 4% of the city's GDP.

The hardest hit sector was during August and September, where a precipitous drop in commercial and tourism activity was recorded. Below is the detail of the financial impact:

Indicator Impact / Value
Total losses 67 million €
Impact on GDP 4%
Income drop (Aug-Sep) -50%
Jobs destroyed +160 positions

The crisis is not only reflected in macroeconomic numbers, but in the daily reality of entrepreneurs. Karim Bulaix, president of the Ceuta Chamber of Commerce, warned that micro-enterprises < with an average of barely 1.5 workers> have been forced to finance their businesses with personal savings to avoid closing.

For his part, Lorenzo Amor, president of the ATA, launched a harsh criticism of state aid, describing it as "alms" and denouncing the lack of support from the Government Delegation to boost the Christmas campaign, contrasting the situation with the dynamism of cities like Madrid.

The urgencies raised by the public and business sector include:

  • Completion of the return files.
  • Immediate start of border protection works.
  • Deregulation of land and improvement of security.
  • Generation of a climate of certainty to prevent the situation from repeating.

Kissy Chandiramani, second vice president of the City, recognized the difficulty of recovering business confidence in a context where Arantxa Campos, president of the CECE, admitted that there is no guarantee that these events will not happen again.

Source: EL ESPAÑOL