Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande Marlaska is scheduled to meet with Moroccan Interior Minister Abdel-Afi Laftit in Rabat on Friday.
Spanish media reports revealed that Grande Marlasca’s visit to Morocco is aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries in curbing illegal immigration to the Canary Islands.
The crossing comes amid stepped-up efforts by the Moroccan Royal Navy to intercept rubber boats carrying potential migrants heading to the Spanish islands.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s left-wing coalition government wants Morocco to be more determined to protect the Canary Islands from a mass influx of migrants. Meanwhile, the right-wing People’s Party and far-left opposition parties are using the issue to criticize what they see as “inaction” by the civil authorities. They argue that in exchange for the “concessions” made by Sanchez regarding Western Sahara, Morocco should act as a border guard between Spain and the Canary Islands.
More than 34,000 illegal migrants will arrive in the Canary Islands in 2023, according to data compiled by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and released in December, excerpts of which were widely circulated in the Spanish press. Ta. However, the report also highlights a decline in the number of people leaving Morocco. It is thought to have spread throughout the Western Mediterranean due to increased coastal protection in recent years.
“The route from Senegal to the Canary Islands has experienced significant growth, with the number of arrivals almost doubling compared to 2022,” the IOM report notes. Moreover, the migration agreement signed between the European Union and Tunisia in July “did not have the expected effect in the Central Mediterranean.” Tunisia became the main point of departure for 83% of all migrants Italy took in this summer.
Mr. Grande-Marlaska’s visit to Rabat shows that it is very important for Spain to secure Morocco’s cooperation in dealing with illegal migration.