Porteadoras
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Porteadoras (lit. 'carrier women') are bale workers in the Spanish autonomous cities of Melilla and Ceuta, located on the north coast of Africa.
History
[edit]Due to a second duty called Biutz anything physically carried across the borders into Morocco is duty-free. This created a cottage industry of sorts for people in the district to carry goods across the border for merchants.[1] It is a form of smuggling tolerated by the Spanish and Moroccan authorities. The Spanish official euphemism is comercio atípico, 'atypical trade' [2] Moroccans from neighboring Nador and Tétouan do not require a visa to enter Melilla and Ceuta.[2] Ceuta and Melilla have lower trade taxes than the VAT imposed on the Spanish mainland and the Balearic Islands and are not in the European Customs Union.[2]
Every year, more than €1.4 billion ($1.8 billion) worth of goods are carried by Porteadoras into Morocco across the borders of Melilla and Ceuta.[3] The number of porteadoras in one day was reduced to 4000 in Ceuta. It can reach 30 000 in Melilla.[2] Ceuta, Melilla and the Moroccan areas besides them are among the poorer regions of their respective countries. Smuggling amounts to a significant part of their economies.
In August 2018, Morocco closed its customs by Melilla, affecting legal trade and smuggling. The government expects to spur its port of Nador.[2]
In 2020, within the fight against COVID-19 in Morocco, the Moroccan government closed the borders with both Spanish cities.
It is typically a "job of last resort", performed mostly by widows, divorcees, or wives with severely disabled husbands.[1][3][4][5] Typically, aged and/or ailing women carry bales of trade goods that weigh more than themselves.[3][4][5]
Being a porteadora is considered a difficult, dangerous job. There are few, if any, regulations in place to protect the workers.[4][5] In 2008, porteadora Safia Azizi fell and was promptly trampled to death.[3] In 2009 two women died at Ceuta Biutz border crossing, overwhelmed by an avalanche of 200 carriers, four policemen were also injured.[6][7]
Calls have been made for safer working conditions, limits on the bale weight and more reliable border opening.[4][5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Gianfranco, Tripodo. "porteadoras". Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- ^ a b c d e Moral, Pablo (2019-02-17). "Ceuta y Melilla, la excepción española". El Orden Mundial - EOM (in European Spanish). Retrieved 21 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d Laia, Abril. "Melilla's porteadoras cross the border between Spain and Morocco up to five times a day, carrying loads of up to 90 kilograms". Colors Magazine. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- ^ a b c d Pressly, Linda. "The heavy-lifting 'mule women' of Melilla". BBC World Service. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- ^ a b c d DALEY, SUZANNE. "A Borderline Where Women Bear the Weight". NYTimes. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- ^ "El Biutz de la vergüenza". Geógrafo Subjetivo. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- ^ "Mueren arrolladas dos mujeres en la frontera de Ceuta". 26 May 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2014.