Migration : Morocco blamed for lowering guard near its northern borders

Several European Union internal reports say that Morocco has lowered guard near its borders with Spain, allowing a surge in migrant arrivals, according to El País. The Spanish daily newspaper believes that the situation is a way for the Kingdom to voice increasing discontent over European financial and logistic support.

Brussels has responded to Rabat’s reaction, granting the Kingdom, in July, a 55-million-euro fund to manage and equip its border guards. The European Union has even supported the efforts made by Morocco and Tunisia to save lives in the seas and improve the management of maritime borders, says L’Economiste.

Sources close to Moncloa, the official residence for the Prime Minister of Spain, told El Pais that Morocco has been waiting for a 30 million-euro-grant from the EU. The Moroccan authorities have recently submitted requests to Brussels through Spain and are «still waiting for an answer», says the same source.

While the Spanish authorities are talking about their cooperation with Morocco, especially on the fight against terrorism, the behind-the-scenes seem to be less glamorous when it comes  to  illegal immigration. Thus, the European Border Agency Frontex says that Morocco has failed to block a surge in migrant arrivals, reports El Pais.

A predictable trend

A month ago, field experts reported that Moroccan officials near the borders are inactive during the afternoons. Yet, it is precisely during this time of the day that smuggling networks organize the departure of migrants. However, in the last two weeks, patrols have been reinforced in the region of Tangiers and Tetouan because King Mohammed VI was there on a vacation.

The phenomenon is nevertheless, not unexpected. The Frontex agency had already raised concerns in a 2018 edition of its annual risk analysis report about the way in which borders are managed in Morocco. «Internal problems in Morocco have opened a breach conducive to departures, especially from the west coast», it wrote.

Some intelligence services reports indicate that the Mount Gourougou, a Rif Mountain near Melilla, sees «a rise in human activity». This region is known for hosting a large number of sub-Saharan illegal migrants, waiting for the right moment to join Europe.

Bigger cities further in the south are also experiencing an influx of migrants hoping to travel to northern Morocco to, again, reach the European El Dorado via Spain. All these factors as suggested by the European authorities should lead to a rise in migrant arrivals in the upcoming months.