Morocco expels two Norwegians from Laayoune  (Read more...)

Migrants expelled from Ceuta sentenced to two months in prison in Tetouan

17 migrants, sent back to Morocco by Ceuta in August, have been sentenced to two months in prison and fined 500 dirhams by the court of first instance in Tetouan, reported Le360 on Tuesday. Accused of «illegally entering the enclave, using violence and presenting fake IDs», these 20 migrants were the only ones to have been brought before the Moroccan justice. They are part of a group that climbed the fence, separating Ceuta and Morocco. Arrested by the Spanish authorities, these

Spain expels a Moroccan Imam based in Granada

Spanish police expelled a 39-year-old Moroccan man who served as an Imam in the Islamic community of La Rabita (province of Granada) for his extremist and violent messages. Police sources told EFE that the procedure took place Friday because of the Imam's activities, which were deemed «undermining to national security». As a member of the Islamic community of La Rabita, the man had always conveyed extremist messages, supporting the non-integration of Muslims in the Spanish society.

Spain opens an investigation after the expulsion of Moroccan minor migrants

An investigation has been opened to determine the reasons behind the expulsion of 13 unaccompanied Moroccan minor migrants in Palencia (Spain), reports Publico. These girls aged between 13 and 17 years old were sent back to Melilla on Friday, said the same source.  They have been transferred to Melilla against their will, denounced a Spanish NGO called PROCEIN and based in the enclave. A letter was sent to the prosecutor of Palencia, to denounce the «unfair» expulsion of

OCP to supply Ghana with phosphate fertilizers

Phosphate giant Office Cherifien des Phosphates (OCP) and the Ghanaian government have signed in Accra a Memorandum of Understanding. The latter obliges OCP to supply the West African country with phosphate fertilizers. Initialed by the Ghana Ministry of Food and Agriculture and OCP-Ghana, this Memorandum of Understanding aims at developing Ghana's fertilizer and aggro-ecosystem value chain through a program dubbed fertilizer and launched by the government, said Monday OCP Ghana in a

King Mohammed VI revisits the United Arab Emirates

King Mohammed VI is back in the United Arab Emirates. On Monday, 10th of September, the sovereign met with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, reports the official United Arab Emirates news agency. The UAE’s ruler and crown prince praised the «diplomatic relations between Morocco and the UAE and discussed means to strengthen them», added the same source. The King and his guest discussed general regional and international issues. The meeting

Japan's Maruzen Tea creates one of the country’s first tea joint ventures in Morocco

Japanese tea manufacturer Maruzen Tea is the first company in the Asian country to invest in Morocco's tea industry. The Shizuoka-based firm (southern Japan) is teaming up with a local enterprise in the Kingdom to produce tea products and promote green tea in both Europe and America, repots Mainichi Shimbun, one of the major newspapers in Japan. The Japanese company invested 20 percent of its founding capital for the creation of the joint venture, dubbed Maruzen Tea Morocco (SARL). The

Spain to examine the expulsion of a Moroccan Imam for radicalization  

The Spanish police have recommended the expulsion of Moroccan Imam, Mohamed Attaouil, reports online newspaper El Nacional. Revealed by TV3, this exceptional measure might be implemented as the man in question «is considered as a threat to national security». According to El Confidencial, the police's report states that «Attaouil’s behavior is a real and sufficiently serious threat to national security». The Imam of the Salt mosque in Girona, is also accused of

Businessmen in Melilla rely on Zapatero to solve the commercial border crisis with Morocco

Businessmen in Melilla have «little hope» in the meeting that will be attended by the Spanish Customs director, Maria Pilar Jurado and her Moroccan counterpart to discuss the closure of commercial borders separating northern Morocco and the Spanish enclave, says El Faro de Melilla. On the other hand, businessmen rely the most on former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s expected trip to Nador. The Spanish politician will have to

Morocco vs. Malawi : Coach Hervé Renard comments on Amine Harit’s absence

After winning a game against Malawi on Saturday, Coach Hervé Renard commented on the absence of Moroccan-French midfielder Amine Harit. During a press conference, the Atlas Lions' coach explained that the player couldn’t be part of Saturday’s squad because of disciplinary-related reasons. @Herve_Renard_HR sur l'absence d' #Amine_Harit du groupe. pic.twitter.com/9HGAq2iPvY — Arryadia TV officiel (@arryadiatv) 9 septembre 2018 «He was supposed to be here, but

Two Royal Navy fighting units rescue 19 would-be illegal migrants off Casablanca

Two Royal Navy fighting units operating in the Atlantic rescued nineteen Moroccan would-be illegal immigrants, including a woman and a child, on Saturday, according to a statement by the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces. The individuals, who set sail in a wooden boat without any means of propulsion and without any awareness of the danger they face, were abandoned by their smuggler in the middle of the ocean, the same source points out. Alerted by the families, the Royal Navy set in

OCP's first-half net profit affected by its rising cost of debt

Moroccan phosphate giant Office Cherifien des Phosphate (OCP) said on Friday, 7th of September, that it its first-half net profit drooped by 18.5 percent because of a rise in the cost of servicing its debt, reported Reuters. The firm's net profit reached 1.885 dirhams in the first six months of the current year (2018), almost half of what was registered in the same period last year, 2.315 billion dirhams, said the company in a statement. OCP's dept grew to 805 million dirhams in the first

Hirak : Morocco summons again the Dutch ambassador

The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation summoned on Friday, 7th of September, the Dutch ambassador. The decision was taken after the Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok presented on Thursday, 6th of September, a report on the Hirak movement. «He has been informed about Morocco's rejection of Blok's statement», a diplomatic source told Yabiladi. Rabat takes this as «direct interference in the country's internal affairs», added the same

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development backs Morocco’s motor industry

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting the automotive industry in Morocco by lending €16 million to Varroc Lighting Systems Morocco, the Moroccan subsidiary of the Indian motor industry’s lighting systems giant, Varroc Engineering Pvt Ltd. The EBRD’s financing will allow Varroc Engineering to supply the Tangier Renault factory and the Peugeot PSA plant in Kenitra, as well as to set up a research and development center, the bank said in a

Morocco doubles Iraq in the new British series «Baghdad Central»

British Drama series «Baghdad Central» is currently filming on location in Morocco, which stands as Iraq, reported KfTV on Thursday. The six-part series is produced by UK-based Euston Films and is based on a novel by American writer Elliott Colla. Baghdad Central tells the story of an Iraqi «ex-policeman who has lost his home, his wife and his career and is battling to keep himself and his ailing daughter safe», wrote Deadline. Morocco doubles Baghdad in the series,

Migration : Morocco refuses to play the role of a policeman in the region, says Mustapha El Khalfi

Morocco cannot let its territories to serve as a shelter for human trafficking networks and refuses to play the policeman in the region, minister delegate for Relations with Parliament and Civil Society, government spokesman, Mustapha El Khalfi, said Thursday in Rabat. In a statement read at a press briefing following the weekly cabinet meeting, El Khalfi said that after following a presentation on the fight against illegal immigration made by the Interior Minister, the Council stressed that

Crackdowns on sub-Saharan migrants in Morocco is unlawful, says Amnesty International

For Amnesty International the Moroccan authorities’ «large-scale crackdown on thousands of sub-Saharan migrants, asylum seekers and refugees without due process is cruel and unlawful». In a note made public on Friday, 7th of September, the London-based NGO slammed the Kingdom for raiding refugees and migrant’s camps and bussing them forcibly to abandoned areas in the south and near borders with Algeria. «This represents a worrying backslide for a government that

Spain : A four-year-old Moroccan child rescued in the Cadiz Bay

The Spanish Civil Guard rescued Wednesday, 5th of September, a four-year-old migrant in the Cadiz Bay waters, who was with his two parents, reports El Ciudadano. The operation took place about 10 miles away from the Faro de Trafalgar, in the municipality of Barbate. The child and his parents were on a boat alongside 30 migrants, as it is shown in a video published by the same source. Officials noticed that the child was with the group. «They gave him a thermal blanket to surmount the

Hirak figure Nasser Zefzafi stops hunger strike

Two Hirak activists Nasser Zefzafi and Mohammed Haki have reportedly put an end to their hunger strike. The information was announced on Twitter by journalist CHaimaa Zoui, who closely follows the situation of Hirak detainees in Al Hoceima, reports French-language newspaper Le Desk. A week ago, the two convicts held at the Casablanca local prison (Oukacha) announced that they are going on a hunger strike. Ahmed Zefzafi announced that his son, Nasser Zefzafi, is going on a hunger and thirst