Spanish police earlier this week began handing out new identity cards to Moroccans to ease border crossings in Melilla, a Spanish enclave on the northern coast of Morocco.
Between 40,000 and 50,000 people and 5,000 vehicles cross into Spain from the Beni Enzar border crossing in Melilla on a daily basis.
Moroccans who travel to Spain frequently can obtain the magnetic card if they agree to be photographed and fingerprinted. The card is inserted into a turnstile to pass through, AFP said.
The new system is not aimed at "identifying people but rather to ease border crossings" and reduce the hours-long wait at the crossing point, said local government official Arturo Esteban.
Press reports claimed that the cards could help reduce illegal immigration from Morocco to the enclave, which is already struggling to cope with a large number of migrants, especially young Moroccans.
The new system will cost the Spanish government some 1.59 million Euros.
Authorities in Spain initially had said that all Moroccans passing through the border post would need the card, however they later said that would continue to accept other identity documents. (Albawaba.com)
