Morocco is a «priority partner» for Spain regarding migration, said Spain's Ministry of the Interior, emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration with the Kingdom to promote regular, orderly, and safe migration. In a press release issued at the conclusion of the 22nd meeting of the Moroccan-Spanish Permanent Joint Migration Group, chaired by Spain's Secretary of State for Migration, Pilar Cancela Rodriguez, and the Wali Director of Migration and Border Surveillance, Khalid Zerouali, the Ministry highlighted that Secretary of State for Security, Rafael Pérez Ruiz, expressed gratitude to Morocco for its «commitment and efforts» in addressing common challenges such as human trafficking, transnational organized crime, and terrorism. Rafael Pérez noted the «crucial» work of Moroccan security forces in this area, mentioning that Moroccan agents successfully neutralized calls on social media to organize mass entries last September, according to the same source. The official also pointed out the downward trend in illegal arrivals in the Strait of Gibraltar, the Alboran Sea, and the eastern Canary Islands, which confirm Morocco's cooperation in preventing irregular migration, as reported in the press release. The statistics reflect the migratory pressure on the African continent and between Africa and Europe, while also demonstrating the effectiveness of our cooperation, the same source added. The Secretary of State for Migration also spoke of the "exemplary collaboration" and "strengthened relationship" between the two countries in this area, emphasizing the broad outlines of the Spanish government's policy on migrant integration.
