Rabat – Recent statistics show Moroccans at the top of the list of non-EU foreign workers contributing to social security in Spain.
According to Spain’s Ministry of Inclusion, over 300,000 Moroccans are affiliated with Spain’s social security at the end of April.
Moroccans, who are topping the list of non-EU communities in Spain, are followed by Chinese people (108,795), and Venezuelans (108,765).
From Europe, Romanians come in first position (340,641), followed by Italians (150,678).
Spain registered a global figure estimated at 2,354,514 foreign affiliates in its social security in April, up by +2.4% or 55,689 people.
Out of the total number, 828,034 people are from EU countries, while 1,526,480 people are from outside the European bloc.
According to Spain’s Institute of Statistics (INE) about 879,943 Moroccans were legally established in Spain in January, representing a 0.8% increase compared to the same period last year.
located about 14 kilometers from Morocco, Spain remains one of the destinations Moroccans look for when seeking better economic opportunities.
However, dozens of people choose a risky way to travel to Europe — particularly irregular migration through Europe’s deadly southern maritime borders. Deaths at sea on Europe’s southern shores have nearly doubled over the past year
Morocco has been one of the countries that continue to vow measures to counter human trafficking as its law enforcement priorities, making it a welcome ally to Europe where migration is a top political priority.
In 2021, Moroccan police arrested 415 people suspected of participating in irregular migration organizations.
Morocco’s security services also seized 742 forged travel documents, 67 inflatable boats, as well as 65 vehicles used for displacing people through irregular migration.
In April 2022, the UN said over 3,000 people died or went missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean and the Atlantic to reach Europe in 2021.
“Most of the sea crossings took place in packed, unseaworthy, inflatable boats – many of which capsized or were deflated leading to the loss of life,” UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo told journalists.
Since 2017, Morocco dismantled over 5,000 human trafficking and irregular migration networks.
