Diplomatic rift between Morocco, Spain widens into agricultural sector

Rabat, Morocco | XINHUA | The ongoing diplomatic rift between Morocco and Spain, beginning with issues of illegal immigration, has now widened into the agricultural sector.

In mid-May, around 9,000 illegal immigrants, many of whom were thought to be minors, crossed from Morocco into Ceuta, a Spanish enclave bordered by Morocco on the north coast of Africa. In response, the European Parliament on Thursday passed a resolution accusing Morocco of violating the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child by “use of minors” in the incident.

Later, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita slammed the resolution as “counterproductive” and “part of a logic of short-sighted political escalation.”

Making waves of the diplomatic fallout, some Spanish farmers have mobilized against their southern neighbour by launching the Origen Marruecos (Origin Morocco) boycott campaign and rallying behind Clara Aguilera, a Spanish member of the European Parliament who suggested enforcing more stringent import quotas for EU-bound Moroccan goods.

Aguilera suggested in a statement to the European Commission that Moroccan tomatoes threaten “the stability of the EU tomato market.”

“Indeed, there were threats against Moroccan farmers and exporters from Spanish farmers,” said Rachid Aourras, a former founding member of the Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis.

“Sometimes the Spanish farmers block the Moroccan trucks when they arrive on the Spanish territory,” Aourras told Xinhua.

However, he believed that the current crisis between the two Mediterranean countries won’t last long.

“I think other parties, like France especially, will intervene to mediate between them,” the Moroccan economist said.

As for Morocco, Aourras said the country’s agricultural sector is unlikely to retaliate since “Moroccan producers prefer to have government support” and “they will not act in a personal capacity.”

A boycott movement is “a possible scenario,” but for now the “conflict is under control,” he added.

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XINHUA