Rabat – The flow of irregular immigration to Spain from Morocco dropped by 36% year-on-year at the end of April 2023, according to data from the Spanish interior ministry reported by Spanish media.
The number of irregular migrants entering Spain through Morocco reached 6,525 at the end of April 2022, down from 10,256 a year earlier.
Meanwhile, the flow of migrants to the arrivals to the Canary Islands dropped by 51%, while the overall rate of irregular immigration to the Spanish islands rose by 28%.
Spanish media report that migrants who used to leave from Morocco have now turned to the classic crossing on foot through the border of Ceuta and Melilla.
Official data further shows that the flow of immigrants from the fences of the two Spanish enclaves decreased by over 75% this year, from 1265 to 311.
The drop in the flow of irregular immigration is largely thanks to Morocco’s border control efforts. The country stopped over 40,000 irregular migration attempts to Europe during the first seven months of 2022, amidst an 11% annual increase in such attempts. This successful effort led to the arrest of 7,000 migrants and the dismantling of 124 trafficking networks.
The country has had a long-standing border control agreement with the European Union, which has resulted in improved border security.
In August 2022, the EU pledged €500 million in financial aid to assist Morocco with its migration management efforts.
Morocco’s efforts have not only helped protect the country’s borders but have also prevented illegal migrants from putting themselves in danger.
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