More than 200 Moroccans residing irregularly in Belgium have been expelled to Morocco, the Belgian State Secretary for Asylum and Migration, Nicole de Moor, announced on Wednesday. De Moor explained that since the beginning of 2024, 203 Moroccans have been forcibly returned to Morocco, a figure that has «quadrupled» compared to 2023, when only 43 Moroccans in irregular residence were expelled. Of the 203 individuals returned, 113 were released from prison. De Moor attributed this increase to «renewed cooperation with Morocco», as reported by Belgian media. Notably, in April, a federal mission from Belgium reached an agreement with Morocco to strengthen collaboration on migration and repatriation. «You can't manage migration on your own. You need to work together with countries of origin, and today we have good and constructive cooperation with the Moroccan government again», said De Moor. «The joint mission in April, with a broad approach encompassing the economy, security, migration, and return, is clearly bearing fruit». De Moor emphasized Morocco's importance as a partner in migration. She noted that nearly 80,000 Moroccans legally reside in Belgium, and each year many Moroccans travel to Belgium to visit family, study, or work. However, she added, there is also a significant number of Moroccan nationals in irregular residence. De Moor expressed her belief that the number of forced returns should increase further. «By getting the return process to Morocco back on track, we will once again have a stronger enforcement mechanism», she said. «There is now a real opportunity to expel people who are not allowed to stay here, whereas in the past, police officers often had to release individuals they stopped», she concluded.
