Morocco intensifies role in countering illegal migration to Europe
RABAT –
Morocco has stopped 45,015 people from illegally migrating to Europe since January and busted 177 migrant trafficking gangs, Morocco’s state news agency MAP reported, citing interior ministry data.
Last year, Morocco stopped 75,184 people from illegally crossing to Europe, up six percent from a year earlier, government data showed.
The Moroccan navy has also rescued 10,859 migrants at sea so far this year, MAP said, citing the interior ministry data.
“In 2024, Morocco continues to face an increasing migratory pressure as a direct outcome of the prevailing instability in the Sahel region and porous borders,” it quoted the ministry as saying.
The North African country has for long been a major launch pad for African migrants aiming to reach Europe through the Mediterranean, the Atlantic or by jumping the fence surrounding the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.
Morocco and Spain have strengthened their cooperation in addressing illegal migration since they patched up a separate diplomatic feud in 2022.
Last month, however, hundreds of migrants took advantage of a thick mist to swim to Ceuta, according to Spanish police.
Tighter surveillance of Morocco’s northern borders is prompting an increasing number of migrants to try the riskier and longer Atlantic route to the Canary Islands.
However, Morocco’s role in countering illegal migration is intensifying. After no less than seven years of negotiations, Morocco and the EU finally agreed on a migration pact in December 2023.
The resilience of border and coastal surveillance systems has enabled Morocco to strengthen its position as a prominent actor in regional security and the fight against cross-border trafficking networks.
The country remains confronted with increasing migratory pressure in 2024, exacerbated by increasing instability in the Sahel region and the exploitation of protection policies by criminal networks.
According to experts, an effective combat against irregular migration requires seamless coordination between all partner countries through surveillance and prevention of pull factors.
In this context, responsible and united engagement with all partners, especially West African countries and Spain, proves to be the crucial lever for addressing the challenges posed by migration.
