Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell has urged the EU to allocate further financial aid to help Morocco with countering illegal migration flows. While the EU has agreed to finance Morocco’s border management with 140 million euros, Spain suggests the increase of the amount. “Morocco is helping us,” said Borrel at a news conference during his visit to Rabat, hinting on the fact that such aid should not be considered as a gift to the country as the illegal migration became much more intense in the Western Mediterranean.
The EU has already disbursed 30 million euros earlier this year. The North African country is expected to receive half of the agreed support by the end of July in the form of a budget aid. The other half would be donated in a form of equipment. In the first five months of this year, 7876 migrants arrived in Spain by sea, which is 3% less when compared to the same period last year, according to International Organization for Migration (IOM) statistics.
Morocco’s Foreign Ministry also said 30000 people were stopped from crossing borders to Spain through illegal trafficking networks from which 60 were detained. Moreover, a significant drop of 67% in sea arrivals during the last month may also imply the progress in the effectiveness of Morocco’s border management. While the data shows 57,000 migrants arrived illegally in Spain in 2018, 89000 migrants were prevented from setting out for Europe last year.
