Spain grants Morocco 30 million euros in aid each year, in addition to the more than 300 million euros in aid the kingdom receives from Europe to fight illegal immigration. Despite this significant support, migration flows continue to rise.
Spain would have accepted to support the Sahara autonomy plan and end tensions with Morocco due to the influx of refugees it could face during this period of the Ukrainian crisis.
The Minister of the Presidency, Relations with the Courts and Democratic Memory, Félix Bolaños, assured on Saturday that Spain’s support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara will strengthen police cooperation between the two countries in the fight against illegal immigration.
Samir Faranji, 20, is a young Moroccan who immigrated to Spain at the age of 17. Today, he uses social media, especially YouTube, to make the stories of young migrants like him known and denounce the discrimination and hate speech of which they are victims.
Morocco has only sent the files of 75 minors out of the 1,300 who arrived in Ceuta last May. It is up to the Spanish government to decide whether or not to initiate the repatriation procedure for these minors.
The president of Vox Melilla, José Miguel Tasende, stated that the "increasingly massive and violent" migrant assaults are not reassuring for businessmen who would like to invest in the autonomous city.
The Vox party has denounced "the economic blackmail and demographic pressure" of Morocco which "prepares and organizes the assaults at its convenience". It also accuses the Spanish government of not properly fulfilling its mission of protecting the borders.
The Andalusian Association for Human Rights (APDHA) has just published its 2022 report on the human rights situation at the borders. This year, the report focused on the situation of migrant women, particularly Moroccans.
The Popular Party (PP) is about to ask the government to undertake legislative reforms to allow migrant minors to return to Morocco.
The Popular Party (PP) and Vox are asking the Spanish government for explanations about the massive assaults by sub-Saharan migrants in Melilla last Wednesday and Thursday.
The Spanish Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Malaska, announced on Saturday, during his visit to Melilla, that the ongoing work to strengthen the fence on the border with Morocco will be completed in the next three months.
The Spanish intelligence services (CNI) claim that thousands of sub-Saharan migrants stormed the Melilla border last Wednesday because Morocco "has ceased to control" this border area.