Held Friday in Rabat, the meeting of the Moroccan-Spanish Permanent Joint Migration Group took place under the chairmanship of Khalid Zerouali, Wali Director of Migration and Border Surveillance at the Ministry of Interior and Jesus Perea Cortijo, Secretary of State for Migration, in the presence of Rafael Pérez Ruiz, Secretary of State for Security and Angeles Moreno Bau, Secretary of State for External and Global Affairs. A meeting highly anticipated given the importance of the issues on the agenda. This is a realization of the reconciliation between Morocco and Spain which has resulted in a resumption of bilateral cooperation at all levels. This is evidenced by the roadmap developed during the visit to the Kingdom, in April 2022, Pedro Sanchez, President of the Spanish government.
The migration partnership in its entirety was at the heart of the discussions, said a joint statement issued after the meeting. The issue of regular flows was discussed at a time when Moroccans are finding it difficult to obtain visas. In this regard, the Moroccan authorities and their Spanish counterparts agreed “to encourage controlled legal flows, in coordination with all operators and stakeholders. On this point, the Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign and Global Affairs, Angeles Moreno Bau, gave more details on the conclusions of the meeting. In a statement, she said that the meeting held in Rabat is a way to implement the joint statement adopted on the occasion of the visit of Pedro Sanchez to Morocco on April 7. The Spanish government, it should be recalled, had committed to restore the movement of people and goods in an orderly manner.
The issue of student visas was also discussed. The Spanish Secretary of State also said that “Spain wants more and more Moroccan students to continue their academic training in Spanish institutions. For his part, the Secretary of State for Migration, Jesus Perea Cortijo, stressed the need to continue supporting regular migration programs as a strategic objective for Spain and the European Union.
On the other hand, it goes without saying that in such a meeting the issue of illegal migration is not mentioned. It was decided to strengthen coordination between the two countries through the exchange of information and the renewal of joint working arrangements at the level of police cooperation centers, liaison officers and joint patrols.
The two countries have also decided to act with more deterrence and agility against criminal networks of migrant smuggling in the Atlantic and Western Mediterranean routes.
Indeed, the flow of illegal migrants has visibly decreased in March compared to January, with a decrease of 66.9% according to figures from the Spanish Ministry of Interior. The number of irregular migrants from Morocco has dropped from 4,202 in January to 1,388 in March.
Regarding the issue of unaccompanied minors, the Moroccan side recalled the Royal High Instructions for the repatriation of all Moroccan minors duly identified, notes the statement, adding that both sides have agreed to focus on the best interests of the minor, including through prevention and protection.
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