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For those of you not familiar with the geopolitics of the situation…Ceuta and Melilla have been Spanish for centuries, long before the modern state of Morocco came into existence. Ceuta came under Portuguese rule in 1415 and chose to remain with the Spanish Crown in 1640 when Portugal regained its independence. Melilla was incorporated into the Crown of Castile in 1497. Both cities have therefore been part of Spain for over 500 years.When Morocco gained independence from France and Spain in 1956, Spain retained Ceuta and Melilla because they were considered integral parts of Spanish territory rather than colonies. Today, they are autonomous Spanish cities and, consequently, part of the European Union, although Morocco continues to claim sovereignty over them.