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Rabat – Morocco’s Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani recalled the aid that Moroccan intelligence services offered to Spain to tackle the migration crisis.
During a seminar held Wednesday on the Moroccan-Spanish crisis, El Othmani shared about 9,000 articles of sensitive information on security with Spanish authorities regarding irregular migration in the last three years.
El Othmani said that the cooperation shows Morocco’s commitment to abide by all agreements signed with other countries.
The official also recalled that Morocco’s security services aborted over 14, 000 irregular migration attempts and dismantled more than 8,000 human trafficking cells.
The head of government emphasized that Morocco aborted 80 irregular migration attempts in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
El Othmani added the importance of political, security, and collaboration between neighbors in general and between Morocco and Spain. The official, however, recalled that the crisis between Spain and Morocco is due to Madrid’s decision to host Polisario leader Brahim Ghali and not due to migration.
Spain arranged Ghali’s hospitalization in a Spanish hospital while colluding with Algeria. The separatist leader entered Spain, using a fake name under Mohammed Ben Battouch.
The decision to allow Ghali into Spain angered Morocco, which remained firm in the point that the act is against the spirit of the relationship.
Morocco has said that trust is broken between both countries.
The tension between Rabat and Madrid escalated further when thousands of irregular migrants crossed from northern Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
Spanish politicians, officials, and media attacked Morocco, accusing it of blackmail.
Some Spanish politicians and members of the European Parliament also drafted a resolution, seeking to hold Morocco responsible for using minors in the crisis between Rabat and Madrid.
Renew Europe, along with Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) groups proposed the draft resolution.
In response, Morocco’s government condemned the hostile act, expressing disappointment.
The speaker of Morocco’s House of Representatives, Habib El Malki, said earlier in the week that the resolution is “part of an attempt to distract attention from a purely bilateral political crisis between Morocco and Spain.”
The Moroccan official reiterated Morocco’s efforts to tackle human trafficking.
He added that Moroccan authorities have insisted that the country is not acting “under the command of European Union or for a counterpart.”
“It does so as a partner and as part of a shared responsibility, as the figures on migration and security cooperation in recent years show, and which some MEPs seem to ignore,” El Malki said.
