Signs of progress on the Rock
22 July 2009

A tripartite ministerial ‘forum of dialogue’ held in Gibraltar on 21st July has delivered a number of important promises for reform of the travel and transit problems faced by the Rock’s long term resident Moroccan migrant worker community.

The communiqué issued at the close of yesterday’s meeting confirms that there is now high level official recognition of at least one of the Moroccan workers’ long-standing complaints. Chief Minister Peter Caruana together with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and British Foreign Secretary David Milliband discussed the significant difficulties – and in some cases farcical barriers – that have prevented the Moroccans from maintaining connections with their families.

The communiqué sets out a commitment “to facilitate, by legally feasible practical solutions, the granting of Visas to the Moroccan community members resident in Gibraltar for transit through Spain towards their country”. Chief Minster Peter Caruana has confirmed his intention for these arrangements to be in place by July 2010 at the latest.

As well as recognising the visa-related problems the communiqué sets out as one of its key aims an intention to bring about a negotiated solution to the problem imposed by EU visa rules that have proven such an arbitrary and unfair restriction on the right of the Moroccans to visit their loved ones just a few miles away. The communiqué confirms that the three Governments are motivated in this matter by “humanitarian motives” and a commitment to “good neighbourliness”.

The International Centre for Trade Union Rights welcomes this development and congratulates the tripartite forum on its work to address this politically complex frontier problem. ICTUR expresses the firm hope that this will be the first step in alleviating the plight of Moroccan nationals.