Irregular migration: Madrid strengthens its strategic partnership with Rabat
Faced with the persistence and intensification of irregular migratory flows from Africa, Spain has decided to significantly strengthen its system for managing migration and asylum. At the heart of this strategy is increased cooperation with countries of origin and transit, foremost among them Morocco, Madrid’s key partner on this sensitive issue.
In a written reply addressed to the Senate, the Spanish government detailed the measures implemented to deal with migratory pressure and the increase in applications for international protection. These are based in particular on the strengthening of bilateral relations, the deployment of security personnel, the establishment of joint coordination centers and the provision of technical and material support to partner countries.
According to the Spanish authorities, these efforts made it possible to thwart more than 15,000 attempts at irregular crossings from Africa during the first months of last year, illustrating the effectiveness of the adopted system.
Madrid also recalled its active commitment to the strategic partnerships promoted by the European Union as well as to regional initiatives such as the Rabat Declaration and the Pact for the Mediterranean. However, the government underlined the limits of the action of the European agency Frontex, whose preventive intervention capacities remain constrained by the absence of operational agreements with several countries of origin and transit, an indispensable condition for an executive deployment on their territory.
The Spanish executive also stressed the structural nature of migratory pressure from Africa, mainly linked to socio economic factors, but also to international security instability. In this context, Morocco is in a particular situation, being both a country of origin, transit and reception of migrants, in particular from sub Saharan Africa, which also exposes it to strong migratory pressure.
This reality, according to Madrid, confirms the central role of the Kingdom of Morocco as a strategic partner in the fight against irregular migration. Bilateral cooperation, led by the interior ministries of both countries, is structured around several axes: permanent exchange of operational information, joint patrols by security forces, and the functioning of the joint police coordination centers of Algeciras and Tangier.
Thanks to this close collaboration, the number of attempts at irregular departures from Moroccan territory to Spain recorded a decrease of 60.7 percent, a figure that the Spanish government presents as a strong indicator of the effectiveness of the preventive efforts deployed by Rabat.
Regarding Sebta and Melilla, Madrid recalled the significant investments made since 2018 to strengthen surveillance and protection of the external borders. These measures include the modernization of fences at the most vulnerable points, the improvement of detection systems and the installation of the automated entry and exit system, EES, at the Beni Nsar and Tarajal border posts.
Finally, the Spanish government assured that all these mechanisms are implemented in strict respect of fundamental rights, guaranteed by the Spanish Constitution. Oversight of respect for human rights is entrusted to the National Office for the Guarantee of Human Rights, responsible for supervision, the training of the units concerned and the issuing of operational recommendations.
Editorial team/le7tv
