Spain and Morocco strengthen cooperation on migration

This formula of cooperation with the countries of origin and transit and the fight against human trafficking organisations is what enabled Spain to reduce the number of irregular arrivals by 25.6 percent in 2022, a decrease that reached 69 percent in January this year.

The meeting between Grande-Marlaska and Laftit took place in the framework of the High Level Meeting (RAN) between Spain and Morocco. It is also the thirteenth meeting between the two ministers.

Grande-Marlaska stressed that Spain is the only country of first entry in the European Union to record a decrease in its migratory routes and attributed this decrease to the "close" joint cooperation that we maintain with Morocco and with the other countries of origin and transit of migration, both in the fight against the people-trafficking mafias, with significant operational cooperation and information exchange, and through other elements such as joint maritime, land and air patrols.

"Irregular immigration is a common challenge for Spain and Morocco that both countries are tackling together, based on the same comprehensive view of the phenomenon," he added.

Fight against terrorism

The meeting between Grande-Marlaska and Laftit also served to strengthen police cooperation in the fight against terrorism, an area in which the Spanish Interior Minister highlighted the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation, which has made possible the development of 22 joint operations and the arrest of 105 people in the last eight years.

They also discussed increased police cooperation in the fight against organised crime, especially against drug trafficking organisations, with a particular focus on investigations into the financial and money laundering schemes that underpin these mafias.

Cooperation on road safety and civil protection

The agenda of the meeting between the two ministers also included other issues of interest to both countries. In the area of road safety, progress has been made on the modification of the driving licence exchange agreement, which will facilitate the processing of professional drivers' accreditations. They will also promote an annual Spanish-Moroccan road safety summit, to be chaired and hosted on a rotating basis.

Civil protection is another issue of common interest, on which the two ministers have committed themselves to deepen, with special attention to risk prevention, training and exchange of knowledge and best practices in emergency management.

Grande-Marlaska recalled the success of Operation Crossing the Strait 2022, which ran from 15 June to 15 September and which constitutes the largest summer movement of passengers and vehicles between two continents. In the three months of the operation, 2.9 million passengers and almost 700,000 vehicles crossed the Strait of Gibraltar, and there were 9,900 ship rotations.

Non official translation