Migration: Madrid and Berlin Call on EU to Step up Cooperation with Morocco
Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, and German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, stressed on Saturday in Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Spain) the need to intensify cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Morocco in the area of migration.
"Morocco is suffering from the pressure of African sub-Saharan migratory flows and we need to strengthen our cooperation not only with countries of origin but also with transit countries such as the Kingdom," Sanchez said at a press conference following his meeting with the German leader.
Sanchez recalled the conclusions of the European Council held last June, which “reflect the commitment of all EU institutions and EU Member States to the need to strengthen cooperation with Morocco and to give the Kingdom a key role in managing migration flows.”
“The German chancellor and I share the conviction that Morocco is one of the major partners of the European Union and Spain," the Spanish official pointed out, noting that negotiations are under way with the European Commission in order to unlock the necessary financial resources to help Morocco in the management of migratory flows.
Merkel also stressed that the EU should intensify its cooperation with Morocco in the area of migration.
"We have to intensify our support for Morocco and Tunisia," Merkel said. "They are border countries and they need our help."
"Morocco, a country that plays a very important role in the area of migration, is also a partner with whom we have economic relations and close contacts," Merkel said.
“No country can be exempt from the challenge of migration,” she added.
Merkel said that Europe "should not only talk about Africa but also with Africa in order to address the phenomenon of migration and come up with a common position at the Summit of Heads of State and Government, scheduled in Salzburg in September."
Since the beginning of 2018, over 24,000 migrants and refugees have entered Europe through a perilous journey across the Mediterranean, according to the UN’s International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
MAP 12 August 2018