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The European Commission has commended, in a migration report issued Wednesday by the European Union, Morocco’s fight against smuggling networks. The European Union body hailed the Kingdom’s actions in strengthening control of its border.
«Morocco has already been working to strengthen control of its border and prevent a large number of irregular departures», EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos said in a speech he delivered on March the 6th.
«I would like to commend Morocco for its actions and assure Morocco of our support. We look forward to developing a closer, deeper and more ambitious partnership with Morocco», Avramopoulos added.
«This begins by completing the implementation of the 140-million-euro support package for Morocco that focuses on improving their border management capacity», the EU Commissioner stressed.
On January the 13th in Rabat, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security, Federica Mogherini promised that the Kingdom will «receive €110 million in the coming months». Saadeddine El Othmani’s government has already been granted €30 million by the European Union.
Supporting Spain's efforts
Visiting Morocco, Federica Mogherini made it clear that this financial aid is not supposed to make Morocco «play a watchdog role», but it is intended to help the country «further boost its migration policy launched in 2013».
In addition to Morocco, Spain will also be granted €36 million. The sum was decided on in 2018 to help the European country. «We already provided nearly 36 million euros of emergency assistance last year and we are ready to provide Spain the technical, financial, and political support it needs», said the European Commission.
«In the Western Mediterranean, Spain is under particular migratory pressure», wrote the UN body, adding that it would «continue to stand by Spain, as [it] has done and will continue doing with all Member States under pressure».
The European Commission noted in its recent report that the number of Moroccan migrants entering Spain illegally through the Mediterranean route increased by 20%. Moroccans top the list of migrants arriving in the Iberian country, followed by Guineans, Malians, Ivorians, Gambians and Algerians.
