Spain Intensifies Border Control Aid to Morocco Amid Record Migration Crisis

Thursday 09 January 2025 - 07:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Spain Intensifies Border Control Aid to Morocco Amid Record Migration Crisis

Spain has allocated €2.5 million to Morocco for enhanced border surveillance equipment and vehicles, responding to unprecedented migration pressures that saw 63,970 irregular arrivals in 2024—a 12.5% increase from the previous year.

The funding, channeled through the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP), will provide Morocco with 183 motorcycles valued at €660,000 and 33 vehicles worth €1.9 million. This equipment package aims to strengthen Moroccan security forces' capabilities in challenging mountainous and coastal terrain.

The comprehensive contract includes all-terrain vehicles, trucks, ambulances, boats, and advanced surveillance technology such as thermal cameras and night vision devices. Technical training for maintenance personnel is also part of the agreement.

This allocation forms part of a larger €120 million support package implemented during Pedro Sánchez's government. The European Union has contributed substantially, providing over €360 million since 2013, including €234 million from the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.

The Canary Islands have emerged as the primary entry point, recording 46,843 arrivals in 2024, marking a 17% increase from the previous year. Mali leads origin countries with 11,155 arrivals, followed by Senegal with 5,866, while Morocco ranks fourth with 2,807 migrants.

In contrast, Melilla has experienced its lowest migration figures since the 1990s, with only 113 arrivals in 2024, down from 340 in 2023. Maritime arrivals to Melilla decreased by 88.3%, while land-based entries fell by 42.5%.

The humanitarian toll has been severe, with over 10,400 migrants losing their lives or disappearing at sea while attempting to reach Spain in 2024—a 58% increase from 6,618 deaths in 2023, according to Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras.

Morocco's Ministry of Interior reported significant preventive measures, stopping 48,963 irregular migration attempts and dismantling 210 criminal networks involved in human trafficking by November 2024. In August alone, Moroccan authorities prevented 14,648 migrants from illegally entering Ceuta and Melilla.

The crisis has sparked intense political debate within Spain. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government implemented reforms in mid-November to facilitate the regularization of undocumented migrants, potentially benefiting up to 300,000 migrants annually over the next three years.

The situation has become particularly challenging in the Canary Islands, where local authorities report having 4,000 to 5,000 unaccompanied minors under their care. Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands government, has expressed feeling "abandoned" by the central government.

King Felipe VI addressed the issue in his Christmas message, warning that "migrations can lead - without appropriate management - to tensions that erode social cohesion." Francisco Navarro, head of Accem Canarias, emphasized the need to view this as a structural rather than temporary situation, citing ongoing conflicts and poverty in Africa and Asia as continuing drivers of migration pressures.