La inmigración irregular cae a la mitad tras el acercamiento entre España y Marruecos

When the Spanish delegation landed in Rabat for the High Level Meeting (RAN) at the beginning of February, one of the objectives was to get relations between the two countries back to their best. But perhaps some did not expect the improvement to be so great in such a short period of time. Barely two months have passed, and to the long list of agreements and joint projects signed between Spain and Morocco we must continue to add data that only goes to show that Spanish-Moroccan ties are going through one of their best periods.

One of the major concerns that have constantly marked the ties between Madrid and Rabat has been the problem of immigration. The controversy surrounding irregular arrivals from Moroccan shores had sparked much criticism, but the data published by the Ministry of the Interior show that the strengthening of relations between Spain and Morocco since the RAN has brought improvements in all areas. And not least because the decrease in the volume of irregular immigration in the first quarter of 2023 is more than 50% compared to the same quarter of 2022.

In the first three months of this year, 4,287 people have arrived irregularly on the peninsula, compared to 8,727 between January and March 2022. This 50.9 per cent decrease has its most important reason in the Canary Islands route, considered one of the most dangerous in the world. In 2022, 123 boats arrived by this route, while this year only 53 have done so. Although this route has seen the greatest decline, the Ministry's data indicate that all of them have reduced their volume of irregular immigration, with the exception of one.

Arrivals by sea to the mainland and the Balearic Islands have not only not decreased, but increased. In the first quarter of last year, 1,591 people arrived in 155 small boats, while in 2023, 1,841 people arrived in 176. Nevertheless, the data in general terms show a clear downward trend that many experts do not hesitate to associate with the evident improvement in ties between Madrid and Rabat. Beyond the RAN, the Spanish government's turnaround on the Sahara issue began to restore the relationship between the historic allies.

When Spain decided to support the proposal for Sahrawi autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty, a new stage in ties with the Alawite kingdom was opened. Already at that point, a year ago, data on irregular immigration began to see their first improvements. What is more, last year ended with a decline that has been seen month by month in the first quarter, with March being the month with the lowest volume of irregular arrivals. These data have served the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, to praise the good work of his portfolio, as well as the great relations with the country presided over by Aziz Akhanouch.

Another of the areas that have been the subject of study are Ceuta and Melilla, which, like the rest of the areas, have seen a decrease in the rate of arrivals. Ceuta has registered 199 arrivals, 4% less than last year, i.e. a minimal decrease. However, it is in Melilla where the drop is almost 98%, having counted only 21 arrivals, which contrasts even more with last year when, in the first quarter, there were two massive jumps at the fence. Therefore, what is clear is that the rapprochement between the Spanish and Moroccan administrations has led to a calmer context and everything suggests that this will continue to be the case after the new stage begun by the Spanish-Moroccan alliance.