El acuerdo entre España y Marruecos hace descender la inmigración irregular en un 26%

A historic figure in the drop in irregular immigration. The latest report from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior has confirmed a generalised drop of 25.6% in the arrival of irregular immigrants by sea on the coasts of the peninsula, Ceuta, Balearic and Canary Islands, from 41,945 people arriving in 2021 to 31,219 in 2022. These are figures that have not been recorded for four years.

The statistics highlight the importance of the recovery of diplomatic relations between Madrid and Rabat since, in the first months of 2022, the arrival of migrants grew by up to 70% more than in 2021. A trend that has been reversed since April, when the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the King of Morocco, Mohamed VI, began a new era in their diplomatic relations by which Spain recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara. 

Since this agreement, the reduction of irregular migrants has been most pronounced in the number of entries by sea and in the number of boats. The most significant decrease in total numbers has occurred in the Canary Islands, where irregular migrants fell from 22,316 to 6,634, almost 30% less than in 2021. The case of boats is no less important, with mafia transport suffering a 35.4% drop.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, cooperation between Spain and Morocco is currently preventing 40% of departures from the origin of this irregular immigration and on one of the deadliest routes on the passage from Africa to Europe. This news has been described as "progressive" and, according to the department's communiqué, is due to cooperation with the countries of origin and transit, and to the reinforcement of the fight against the mafias that traffic in people. 

This policy is the result of the agreement that Spain and Morocco drew up on 13 February 2019, but which came into force on 30 April 2022, now that diplomatic relations have been resumed. This agreement establishes cooperation in the areas of human trafficking and illegal immigration, illegal drug trafficking and the fight against terrorism and crime. These latter matters are also particularly relevant to the security of both countries and the region. 

An objective, that of reducing illegal immigration, which the European Union is also helping to achieve by considering Morocco to be a 'preferential partner' in this area. Since Pedro Sánchez became Prime Minister in 2018, four aid packages sent to Rabat have been approved. The last one last October with more than 30 million euros.  

The Interior Minister himself, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, acknowledged the role of the Alawi kingdom in this matter. "The competent Spanish authorities remain convinced of the fundamental role played by Morocco to better combat the phenomenon of illegal immigration", he stressed.

Irregular immigration will be one of the key issues at the High Level Meeting (HLM) to be held at the end of January or beginning of February. The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, will meet with his counterpart Nasser Bourita to discuss, among other issues, the reopening of customs in Melilla, the reopening of a new customs office in Ceuta and all the progress made since April.  

According to the head of Spanish diplomacy, this meeting will represent "a new impetus in a bilateral relationship that is proving extraordinarily beneficial for both".