Rabat – Spain is reportedly pledging a fund of €346,535 to “help” undocumented migrants in Morocco “voluntarily” return to their home countries.
The Spanish news website Noticia de Almeria reported that the central government approved a total amount of €646,535 to finance projects for the “voluntary return” of migrants who were unable to settle in Morocco or reach Europe.
According to the same source, which cited Spain’s Official State Gazette, the program is in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration.
“The agreement, signed with the Ministry of Interior, specifies that the transfer will be made in a single payment and that the measures will remain in effect until the end of 2026,” it said.
More than half of the allocated fund will go to the project for vulnerable migrants in Morocco, described in the official document as “one of the main transit points to Europe for thousands of people from sub-Saharan Africa.”
The report acknowledges the decrease in total cross-border flows into Europe by 29% between 2023 and 2024.
Arrivals in Spain, however, reached 61,323 in 2023 compared to 55,618 a year earlier.
Noticias de Almeria said the program is part of the cooperation between Spain and IOM since 2005. Such programs enabled over 20,000 voluntary returns from Morocco.
Spain has long emphasized Morocco’s efforts in tackling irregular migration, describing it as a strong and strategic ally in tackling migratory challenges.
In September, Spanish news agency EFE said Morocco prevented a total of 14,648 people from entering the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla during August.
Last year, Moroccan security services prevented 78,685 irregular migration attempts.
The most intercepted migrants came from West Africa, who accounted for 58% of the total.
Migrants from North Africa represented 12%, while 9% came from East and Central African countries.
During the same year, Morocco dismantled 332 human trafficking networks.
