Rabat – Spain is planning to send back more irregular migrants who reached the Canary Islands through Morocco.
Europa Press reported on Sunday that the Spanish government is planning to open new flight routes to bring back irregular migrants to Casablanca and Agadir.
Quoting Spanish government sources, Europa Press said that the decision is part of the new phase of bilateral relations between Morocco and Spain announced following a year-long crisis.
Irregular migration has long been one of the common challenges the two countries have been working together to tackle, the government source explained, adding that the number of migrants who will be returned to Morocco will “increase significantly” in the coming weeks.
Europa Press also cited data from the Spanish police, who said that 40% of irregular migrants who reached Spain in recent months entered the European country from Morocco.
Meanwhile, 30% of the migrants reached Spain through Algeria, followed by 30% from sub-Saharan countries.
Irregular migration dropped in recent months, however — by 55.4% in March compared to February and January, according to Spain’s Ministry of Interior.
As part of the opening of a new phase in their bilateral relations after Spain officially endorsed Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara, the two countries have vowed to further their cooperation in the security field to tackle the migration crisis.
Morocco’s government has been intensifying efforts against human trafficking.
Since 2017, for example, Moroccan security services have prevented more than 14,000 Spain-bound irregular migration attempts.
The North African country has also dismantled over 5,000 human traffic and irregular migration networks.
In addition to migration, Spain and Morocco have also committed to working together in different fields, including trade, counterterrorism, education, culture, and vocational training.
