Spain’s Interior Minister Stresses Exemplarity of Migration Cooperation with Morocco

The cooperation between Morocco and Spain in migration management and the fight against illegal migration is an example of political dialogue between partners, Spain’s Minister of Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, told Justice and Home Affairs ministers of the 27 EU Member States. Speaking at a meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers of the European Union member states in Prague, the Spanish official stressed the need to “raise the political profile and presence of the EU” in countries of origin and of irregular migration. “The relationship with Morocco is an example in this regard,” he said. “It is urgent to strengthen the political dialogue with our African partners and intensify the dialogue between representatives of the EU and the Member States,” said Grande-Marlaska, who welcomed the recent meeting in Rabat with the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, and the Minister of Interior, Abdelouafi Laftit. Quoted by a statement by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, Grande-Marlaska advocated for increasing European funds to achieve an “orderly and fair” migration from African countries. “African countries of origin and transit of migration need regular, predictable, and substantial aid, which has been insufficient until now,” he added. The Spanish minister cited the Neighborhood, Development Cooperation and International Cooperation Instrument, which devotes 10% of its funds to migration. “We must make the most of the possibilities offered by this budget and implement migration cooperation projects, which have already proven their effectiveness in third countries,” Grande-Marlaska suggested. The Spanish official emphasized the “structural character” of the migration phenomenon, saying that “the migratory pressure from Africa is not going to disappear.” “We must continue to work to prevent and reduce movements and move towards a fair, predictable and orderly management of migration,” he concluded. The European Commission and Morocco launched on July 8 in Rabat a renewed partnership in migration and the fight against human trafficking networks, following the emergence of new and extremely violent modus operandi adopted by these criminal networks. The new operational partnership in the fight against human trafficking between Rabat and Brussels will cover, among other things, support for border management, strengthening police cooperation, including joint investigations, raising awareness of the dangers of irregular migration, as well as strengthening cooperation with EU agencies in charge of home affairs.