"A view of a typical dispatch place where carriers prepare th..."

#3528016

7 December 2018

A view of a typical dispatch place where carriers prepare their goods, located near the border fence at the Morocco–Spain border in the city of Melilla. The Spanish semi-enclave of Melilla lives from the trade of the second-hand goods and it’s a lucrative business for the traders, but inhumane work for the carriers and workers who cross the border every day to earn a living. Moroccan citizens can take parcels weighing up to 70 kilos through the Barrio Chino border crossing as duty-free 'hand luggage'. Melilla is part of Spain, but doesn’t belong to the European Customs Union. The duty-free transport of goods is actually illegal, but it is tolerated as long as only hand luggage is involved - irrespective of the weight. If the goods are in contact with their bodies, they remain tax and duty-free. It’s a perfidious but very lucrative business for the traders and one of Melilla’s most important sources of income. The border crossings close unexpectedly early, goods traffic backs up. On Wednesday, December 5, 2018, in Melilla, Spain.

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