Irregular migration is among the challenges that Morocco prioritizes to curb its consequences and sources.
Rabat – Morocco’s judicial police thwarted on Saturday an irregular migration operation in Agadir.
The security operation led to the arrest of four suspects for their alleged involvement in irregular migration and human trafficking, the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) said on Sunday.
The arrest was carried out in collaboration with Morocco’s General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST).
The DGSN statement said that the police arrested the suspects at the fishing port of Agadir, thwarting an irregular migration attempt including 20 candidates.
Preliminary investigation shows that the candidates arrested are of different nationalities, with few Moroccans, nine Egyptians, and Yemeni nationals.
Security services also seized six life jackets, cell phones, and a considerable sum of money.
The suspects are in custody for judicial investigation to determine the circumstances of the case and possible links of the criminal network.
Irregular migration is among the challenges that persist in Morocco. In 2020, Moroccan police arrested 466 suspects allegedly linked to 123 human trafficking networks. The latest DGSN annual report revealed that police also prevented 9,179 candidates for irregular migration, including 6,162 of foreign nationalities, from leaving Morocco.
Recent data from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) found that irregular border crossings along the EU external borders declined by 13% last year.
COVID-19 was among the reasons that prevented candidates from attempting to cross borders, with Morocco’s efforts to curb irregular crossings also one of the reasons why irregular migration decreased.
Read Also: Irregular Migration to the EU Falls by 13%
