Schätzungsweise 40 % der Bevölkerung der autonomen spanischen Stadt Melilla sprechen Amazigh, die indigene Sprache(n) Nordafrikas. Hören Sie dem in Melilla geborenen Künstler Khalid Izri zu, der unter den Amazighs berühmt, aber in Spanien fast unbekannt ist, und auch Sarah und Ismael aus dem Süden Marokkos.

I say Khalid Izri is *almost* unknown in Spain, but he’s not completely unknown. Aside from being well known among Imazighen (Amazighs in plural form), he’s also played with the Canarian-Basque singer Rogelio Botanz, as well as further afield in Europe, with the Belgian-Galician folk band Camaxe. The Galician and Amazigh diasporas live side by side in the Netherlands and in Belgium.

The only official language of Melilla is Spanish. Amazigh is therefore not an official language in Melilla: it is not taught in schools, it has no presence in the government or administration or health care, and consequently its speakers, many of whom are Spanish citizens, have no legal protections whatsoever, unlike in some other autonomous communities or territories of the Spanish state.

The Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, recently (18 June 2024) released its [6th report](https://rm.coe.int/spainecrml6-en/1680b1b32d), where among other recommendations, it recommended that Spain do much for Amazigh speakers. Spain signed the Charter in 1992 and ratified it in 2010 which means that it is obligated to fulfill its responsibilities with regards to its linguistic minorities.

>44. Castilian is the only official language recognised by the Statute of Autonomy of the City of Melilla.37 The city of Melilla has a unique regime of local autonomy based on the Spanish Constitution itself and regulated in its Statute of Autonomy.38 However, this special regime does not include transfer of competences in education, health or in the judiciary. There is neither relevant information nor data on the number of speakers, although it is estimated that more than 40% of the population living in Melilla speak the language.39 Amazigh is also spoken in other parts of Spain, especially in Catalonia, mostly due to recent immigration.

>45. The previous Assembly of Melilla adopted in 2014 a “Declaration for a Pact for Interculturality in the Autonomous City of Melilla,” recognising Amazigh as “a traditional language that is an inseparable part of the intangible cultural heritage common to all of Melilla’s citizens.” The authorities of Melilla committed themselves to taking essential steps to improve the situation of the language. However, the Strategic Plan for Melilla 2020-2029 does not include specific decisions in relation to the Amazigh language, except for maintaining and developing links and cultural relations with speakers of Amazigh in Morocco, with an earmarked financial support provided to this aim.40

>46. According to the speakers, there is a growing demand to use Amazigh in relation with the administration and in public services.41 However, information collected during the on-the-spot visit shows that, although civil servants who speak Amazigh are sometimes used on an ad hoc basis in the police or other institutions, they are not properly trained and there is no specific language policy in this regard.

>48. Amazigh continues to be excluded from mainstream education and pupils do not receive education of/in the language. According to the speakers, only 6,5% of teachers in Melilla are Amazigh speakers and Castilia is the only language of instruction. 46 Initiatives presented during the previous monitoring cycle, which consisted of basic and further trainings in Amazigh for teachers, have been discontinued. Similarly, a project to create an institute for the Amazigh language was abandoned due to a lack of funding.

>46 According to the strategic plan for Melilla, Castilian is the mother tongue for only 27% of pupils studying in Melilla.

This is amazing, thank you!