Rabat – The representative of the European Union mission in Morocco, John Cardona, spoke about Morocco’s effective role in curbing human trafficking on Monday, in Kenitra (near Rabat).
The official made positive remarks about Morocco’s strategy to fight against human trafficking during a speech at a meeting about the dangers of human trafficking and irregular migration.
Cardona said Morocco is a key partner for the EU in fighting irregular migration and human trafficking.
Morocco’s efforts to tackle the issue shows the country’s commitment to end the phenomenon, the EU official said.
The meeting to sensitize people of the danger of human trafficking is an EU initiative in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
The Emergency Trust Fund for Stability and Addressing the Root Causes of Forced Displacement and Irregular Migration of the European Union funded the initiative, aiming to increase protection for victims of human trafficking.
The regional representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in North Africa and the Middle East, Christina Albertine expressed satisfaction with Morocco’s strict laws against human trafficking networks.
She recalled that Public Prosecution in Morocco mentioned in its last report a 78 % increase in the number of prosecutions in cases of human trafficking. About 231 people faced charges for human trafficking, while 280 victims were identified in 2018 in Morocco.
The official warned that the phenomenon requires a vigilant approach due to the global rise in human trafficking.
The Director of Criminal Affairs and Amnesty at the Ministry of Justice, Hisham Malati, said Morocco is taking steady steps towards creating an ideal institutional and legislative model in the field, Moroccan television channel 2M reported.
The official referred to Morocco’s 2016 law on combating human trafficking.
Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) said in its 2019 annual report that its staff arrested 27,317 people attempting to migrate, including 20,141 of foreign nationality last year.
Moroccans represented 26% of those arrested trying to migrate without documents.
The DGSN also seized 3,021 false travel and ID documents in 2019.
In the same year, the Moroccan government announced that the total number of irregular migration attempts aborted in Morocco stood at 73,973.
Security services also dismantled 208 human trafficking networks.
EU countries, especially Spain, are satisfied with their collaboration with Morocco in this area.
Spanish Minister of Interior Fernando Grande Marlaska spoke about Morocco’s major role in curbing irregular migration on Monday in a meeting with vice-president of the European Commission Markaritits and Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson.
The Spanish official said that the number of arrivals of irregular migrants to Spain has dropped by 50%.
