Spain updates naval patrol rules around Ceuta and Melilla

The Spanish Navy has altered its naval patrol protocol regarding foreign vessels moving through waters near the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, Euronews reported. Spanish naval units can now respond to foreign ships making innocent passage without seeking higher authorisation. Euronews reported that until 30 July, Spanish forces monitored these maritime movements without intervening. [1][2]

The rule change follows incidents involving Moroccan vessels in northern Africa. Euronews reported that Morocco cited the innocent passage doctrine under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to justify naval movements during a mass influx of migrants at the Ceuta border and in an incident on 30 July. Innocent passage allows foreign ships to navigate through the territorial waters of a coastal state. [1]

Ceuta is an autonomous Spanish city on the North African coast that borders Morocco, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is part of the Schengen area, but specific border checks exist between the enclave and mainland European Spain. As FTMQ World reported earlier, troops normally based in Ceuta were absent from a National Day parade in Madrid due to an ongoing deployment following a migrant crisis in the city. [6][9]

The operational shifts occur alongside wider political and diplomatic developments. Olive Press News Spain reported that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni agreed to scrap border checks to end a row over Ceuta. Meanwhile, El Constitucional reported that opposition politician Feijóo raised the Ceuta crisis against Sánchez while promising tax cuts in the countryside. [3][4]