Morocco-Spain Permanent Joint Migration Group Holds 22nd Meeting in Marrakech

Marrakech - The Morocco-Spain Permanent Joint Migration Group held its 22nd meeting in Marrakech on Monday, co-chaired by Wali Director of Migration and Border Surveillance Khalid Zerouali and Secretary of State for Migration Pilar Cancela Rodriguez, and attended by Spanish Secretary of State for Security Rafael Pérez Ruiz. The talks tackled the migration partnership in its entirety. In terms of operational cooperation, the Spanish side expressed gratitude for the major efforts made by Moroccan authorities to combat irregular migration, with tangible results, particularly on the Atlantic and Western Mediterranean routes, making the Kingdom a reliable partner and a major player in regional security. Faced with common challenges posed by the increasingly violent methods of migrant smuggling networks and the unstable regional environment, both parties agreed to strengthen their coordination and information exchange mechanisms, by renewing joint working methods at Police Cooperation Centers, between liaison of ficers and within joint patrols. Regarding regular migration, the two parties discussed the Morocco-Spain model for managing circular mobility and labor, which proved to be successful and is recognized at European and international levels. On this occasion, both parties undertook to further work to this end and to establish new avenues for strengthening cooperation prospects in order to encourage controlled legal flows, in coordination with all operators and stakeholders. The two sides also praised the contribution of the Moroccan community in Spain and its many-faceted addition as a vector for cultural and civilizational connection. They also reiterated their commitment to regional and triangular cooperation in the field of migration. In this respect, both parties agreed to further strengthen dialogue and close coordination at international conferences and fora. During this meeting, it was also agreed to convene the various ad hoc joint sub-committees. Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse