French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau is on a working visit to Morocco, which began on Sunday, April 13. The visit aims to strengthen bilateral ties, particularly with his Moroccan counterpart, Abdelouafi Laftit. Migration cooperation tops the agenda, following a meeting between the two ministers during French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Rabat on October 30, 2024. Discussions will focus on building on recent progress in readmissions—up by 60%—and consular travel permits, whose issuance rate rose from 26% in 2024 to 52% in 2025. According to Retailleau's team, as reported by BFMTV, the minister was received by Laftit for a dinner meeting. «Several topics will be discussed during his visit, notably migration cooperation, the fight against organized crime and terrorism, drug trafficking, and firefighting cooperation», the source said. Meanwhile, Laftit's team described the relationship with the French minister as «excellent». On Monday, Retailleau will «pay his respects at the Mohammed V Mausoleum» before holding a working session with his Moroccan counterpart. A joint press conference is scheduled to follow. His team emphasized that the visit's primary goal is «to observe these advances and to consolidate and expand upon them».
