Spain’s Interior Minister Reaffirms Migration Management Cooperation with Morocco

Rabat – The Spanish Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has reaffirmed his country’s commitment to continue working with Morocco in managing migration and addressing human trafficking.

“I reiterate once again Spain’s commitment to continue to collaborate with countries of origin and transit, in particular with Morocco, which is doing important work and must be recognized as such,” Grande-Marlaska said on Saturday.

The Spanish Ministry of Interior issued the minister’s statement following his meeting on Friday with his Moroccan counterpart Abdelouafi Laftit and the European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson.

The Spanish minister also noted that the “agreements reached at the Rabat meeting” testify to the commitment of all parties involved to face common challenges related to irregular migration.

Commenting on the recent migration tragedy in the Spanish enclave of Melilla, where dozens of migrants lost their lives, Grande-Marlaska expressed determination to “firmly address criminal organizations that use violence and migrants to achieve their illicit goals.”

He said, “We will continue to work in depth to put in place the necessary means to save the lives that are endangered by the criminal mafias, while strengthening cooperation between Morocco and the EU in migration management.”

During his meeting with Laftit and Johansson, the Spanish minister joined his interlocutors in commending the fact-finding expedition carried out by Morocco’s National Council for Human Rights.

The three officials also highlighted that the North African country and the EU share the same value of respecting and providing migrants with basic rights.

Amid a recent wave of accusations Morocco and Spain faced for reportedly using force against irregular migrants, Johansson has also spoken approvingly and supportively of Morocco’s efforts to tackle irregular migration.

With Morocco and Spain steadily improving their diplomatic ties after months of deepening tensions, irregular migration is likely to again become a key point in their regular discussions.