Morocco says responsibilities are shared between Morocco and Spain in illegal immigration issue
Morocco-Spain, Politics, 8/23/2001

Morocco considers that the Spanish approach to the issue of illegal immigration is simplistic and does not reflect the complexity of the issue where responsibilities are shared and where actors and interests are both Spanish and Moroccan.

Morocco's secretary of state for foreign affairs and cooperation, Taieb Fassi Fihri, made the statement on Wednesday evening while he was receiving Spanish charg? d'Affaires in Rabat, Eduardo Ibanes Lopez-Doriga.

In response to the statements on illegal emigration made by the secretary general of the Spanish foreign department when he received Morocco's charg? d'affaires in Spain Wednesday, Fassi Fihri told the Spanish diplomat it would be inaccurate to analyze the present situation and assess consequences assuming that Morocco bears the exclusive responsibility.

He added that the Spanish approach is a simplistic one that does not reflect the complexity of the issue where responsibilities are, in all aspects, largely shared and where actors and interests are both Moroccan and Spanish.

Fihri also underlined, on the basis of statistics, that Morocco has been making substantial efforts on the ground using important land, sea and air means to handle in the best way shared interests and a situation that concerns men and women, of whom a part is from Morocco but who also come from other African countries, and even from Asia and the Middle East.

He added that between January 1st, 2000 and June 30, 2001, the royal gendarmerie and national security services arrested and expelled over 15,000 African and Asian nationals who were trying to enter Europe from Morocco. In the same period, Moroccan authorities arrested more than 20,000 Moroccan candidates to illegal immigration.

The Moroccan official insisted that with this effort, Morocco is shouldering its responsibilities and that is why it is difficult to understand and accept, without reacting, Spanish appreciation and doubts over the policy enforced by Morocco.

He also renewed Morocco's stance to do all that must be done to contain illegal immigration but without overlooking the fact that the problem is first of all a political and economic one. He argued that only partnership between Morocco, Spain and the European Union will provide the good answer to questions asked by Spain.

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan journalists meet Spanish politicians, NGOs over Sahara issue   (8/16/2001)
  More than 240 Moroccan Illegal Immigrants Arrested in Sebta in Nine Days   (8/9/2001)
  Spanish local government invites Moroccan fishery minister to visit region   (7/28/2001)

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