Morocco, Spain renew commitment to crack down on illegal migration

Morocco and Spain renewed, in Cordoba Wednesday, firm commitment to crack down on illegal migration, underscoring a significant drop in dinghies crossing to Spain in the summer of 2004.

At a press conference, held at the end of the 4th meeting of the Moroccan-Spanish permanent migration group, the two parties said it is crucial to intensify efforts to fight this phenomenon, and reiterated "joint determination to consolidate a constructive cooperation based on respect and reciprocal trust."

Head of the Moroccan delegation, Mohamed Yassine Mansouri, said there was a significant decrease in the number of would-be immigrants who try to illegally cross to Europe from the Moroccan territory since the north African country has carried out concrete and multiple actions to curb clandestine migration. He added that illegal immigrants are currently using other territories, notably Tunisia and Libya to reach Europe.

According to the official, 4,000 elements of the Moroccan Forces Auxiliaires (FA) are deployed in the Mediterranean coast to watch this high risk zone.

Efforts made to this aim have enabled to thwart 600 attempts of illegal migration in the first 10 days of September alone. As for the southern region of Laayoune-Boujdour, over 3,700 attempts have been foiled since last January.

Mansouri announced that 4 Moroccan liaison officers will be dispatched to Spain for coordination with the European country.

On her part, Spanish secretary of state in charge of migration, Consuelo Rumi Ibanez, said her country's strategy in this issue is accompanied by a policy on legal migration.

Ibanez deemed the efforts made so far in this question as "very positive."

The Moroccan-Spanish permanent migration group was set up in November 2003 during a visit of Moroccan interior minister, Al Mostafa Sahel, to Madrid.