Emigration, a real problem in Morocco
Morocco-Spain, Politics, 9/5/2001

Morocco's King Mohammed VI has stressed that emigration is a real problem in Morocco, but insisted Rabat refuses that Spain say all its problems come from Morocco.

"In Morocco, we have never hidden the emigration problem. It is a real problem," said the king in an interview published this Tuesday by French Le Figaro daily.

"What we do not accept is that Madrid say that all its problems come from Morocco," he insisted, conceding that "mafias, which live on illegal emigration and drug trafficking, do exist in Morocco. This is true." "But in Spain, mafias do exist too, and they are richer than those in Morocco," he said.

The king explained that the boats, which carry stowaways, come from Spain. "They (the boats) are costly and are equipped with hyper-powerful engines that make them far more rapid than the patrol boats of our navy," he said.

Touching on drug trafficking, King Mohammed VI said the Moroccan traffickers hold Spanish passports and have bank accounts in Spain. "It is not Morocco that gave them the double citizenship." "Let us say that the responsibility is shared, but on the part of Morocco it is by mere lack of means," he added.

King Mohammed VI also dwelt on relations between Morocco and the European Union, highlighting Morocco's geo-strategic location that makes of it the closest country to Europe.

"Morocco's problems will be settled only with a genuine involvement of the European Union in the development of my country," the sovereign said.

King Mohammed VI, who noted that Moroccan-French ties are almost familial, said Morocco relies on France to act as its attorney with the European Union. Partnership with the EU should be translated into a pact of co-solidarity, that is to say lesser than a full adherence and more than the sole merchant logic that is abusively restrictive of the future of our relations, he said.

Previous Stories:
  Morocco, Spain share ties of 'complicity', Spanish fm   (9/1/2001)
  Former Spanish Premier Hails Changes Underway in Morocco   (8/23/2001)
  Illegal immigration: Spain's Charge d'Affaires received by Moroccan official   (8/23/2001)

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