Rabat – Belgium has forcibly returned more than 200 Moroccans staying illegally in the country since the start of 2024.
According to Belgian media outlet Nieuwsblad, Belgium has forcibly repatriated 203 Moroccans this year, including 113 former prisoners.
“Only 43 people were forcibly returned in 2023,” said Nicole de Moor, Belgium’s Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration in reports, describing the increase as a “fourfold rise.”
The rise in returns follows renewed cooperation with Morocco. During a federal mission in April, the two countries agreed to strengthen efforts on migration and repatriation.
“The return process had already started improving before the mission, but we’ve seen substantial growth since,” De Moor added.
“Migration can’t be managed alone,” she explained. “You need collaboration with countries of origin, and today, we have a constructive partnership with the Moroccan government. The joint mission in April, which addressed issues of economy, security, migration, and return, is clearly yielding results.”
Meanwhile, De Moor also acknowledged both the opportunities and challenges tied to Morocco’s role in the country’s migration framework.
“There are almost 80,000 Moroccans legally living in our country, and every year, many Moroccans come here to visit family, study, or work,” she stated.
At the same time, she addressed the issue of illegal residency among Moroccans in Belgium and the need to increase repatriation efforts.
“By improving the return process to Morocco, we now have stronger enforcement tools. Police officers no longer have to release individuals they stop who lack the right to stay,” she explained.
Belgium’s enhanced cooperation with Morocco aims to manage migration challenges effectively while maintaining constructive ties with the North African country.
In June 2023, Morocco’s Ministry of Interior reported that the country had thwarted 366,000 irregular migration attempts toward Europe over the previous five years. The data also showed that in 2022 alone, 70,781 attempts were prevented.
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