Felipe VI visits Ceuta and Melilla on 13-14 October

King Felipe VI of Spain, accompanied by Queen Leticia, is preparing to visit the cities of Ceuta and Melilla on October 13 and 14, in the first Spanish royal visit to the two cities since Felipe took the throne in 2014. The visit comes about three months after the irregular migration crisis in Ceuta in late July, when tens of thousands of irregular migrants tried to cross the border into the Spanish enclave. Visit after 19 years of royal absence The last visit by a Spanish monarch to Ceuta and Melilla returns To the former King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia, on 6 and 7 November 2007, a visit that provoked widespread Moroccan anger and prompted Rabat to recall its ambassador to Madrid for consultation. Felipe VI's decision to visit the two cities comes after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced late last August that there were "sufficient reasons" to organize this visit, with dates to be set when circumstances allow. Sanchez outside the visit, contrary to what is customary in official tours, will not accompany Pedro Sanchez, the king and queen this time, which Spanish media read as a desire by the government to separate the presence of the head of state from the presence of the head of government, in order to avoid adding new tension to relations with Rabat. Official Morocco considers the cities of Ceuta and Melilla Moroccan territories under Spanish occupation, while Spain considers them part of its national territory, in an old sovereign dispute that remains one of the most sensitive files between the two countries. The immigration file is still open The visit comes at a time when the The repercussions of the July crisis are present, after Ceuta recorded mass transit attempts by irregular migrants, prompting the Spanish authorities to strengthen security deployment and expand temporary shelter centers in the city. Moroccan authorities have not yet issued an official position on the visit, while Moroccan and Spanish media are following the file as a new test of relations between Rabat and Madrid. Increasing European interest in the file and the upcoming visits are not limited to the Spanish monarch alone, as it is expected that a delegation of MEPs travel to Ceuta in November to meet with local authorities and assess the situation on the ground, in a sign that the two enclaves file continues to receive escalating political and diplomatic attention in both Madrid and Brussels.