EU Migration Control: Morocco's Growing Role
“The equation is that the EU supports Morocco’s territorial claim, and Morocco supports Europe’s refugee policy,” Sonja Hegasy told DW.
Meanwhile, Moroccan commitment was already being tested in early January 2024.
On New Year’s Eve, the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces intercepted and arrested around 1,100 Moroccans, Algerians, Tunisians, Yemenis and people from sub-Saharan countries en route to the Canary Islands, as well as to Spain’s North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.
These two Spanish territories on the northern Moroccan coast are the European Union’s only land borders on the African continent.
Western Sahara Territory as a Bargaining Chip
For Morocco, “migration has been a classic pressure card in its negotiations with the European Union,” Sarah Zaaimi, deputy director for communications at the Washington-based think tank Atlantic Council, told DW.
“In 2020 and 2021, amid a crisis with Spain, Morocco deliberately allowed local and incoming clandestine migrants to storm the borders of the two enclaves Ceuta and Melilla, which resulted in a major panic in the EU and Madrid,” Zaaimi added.
However, after around 2,000 people ran towards the border of Melilla, triggering hours of violence and at least 23 deaths in June 2022, a thaw in diplomatic relations took place between Morocco and Spain.
“The situation forged the path for reconciliation between Morocco and Spain,” said Zaaimi.
In addition to collaborating at the border, Spain agreed to support Rabat’s autonomy over Western Sahara — a former Spanish colony largely annexed by Morocco in 1975, which has since become a popular departure point for migrants aiming for the Canary Islands.
Spain was not, however, the first state to accept Western Sahara as Moroccan.
In 2020, the United States recognized the region as Moroccan as part of a “quid pro quo” for Rabat’s normalization of diplomatic relations with Israel.
Since then, numerous African consulates have been established. The Gulf states have also supported Rabat’s claim on the phosphate-rich region with infrastructure and energy investments.
Moroccan claims on Western Sahara are not recognized by the United Nations and the occupation remains illegal under international law.
Western Sahara is also home to the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which represents the local Sahrawi people. The Sahrawi have been fighting for their independence for around 50 years. Tensions between Morocco and its neighbor Algeria remain unresolved.
Morocco’s Foreign Policy Shift
“Morocco has enforced its political claim on Western Sahara for many decades and probably feels it is on the safe side now, so it can use its refugee policy to exert further pressure to boost domestic development,” Hegasy said.
And yet Morocco would not appear to be looking for financial aid.
“Recent changes in Moroccan foreign policy show that the kingdom has become much more confident, even aggressive,” Atlantic Council’s Zaaimi said.
“I find it very hard to believe that Morocco is using migrants to leverage development aid, as the kingdom proved in the way it managed the recent earthquake crisis,” she added.
Last September, when a devastating earthquake destroyed parts of Morocco and killed almost 3,000 people, Morocco declined most foreign aid.
“Morocco now favors sovereignty over its old colonial relationships and dependency dynamics with the EU, especially with Rabat diversifying its partners beyond Western countries to include the United Arab Emirates, China, Saudi Arabia, even Russia, Latin America and others,” Zaaimi said.
Major investment projects, such as co-hosting the World Cup 2030 together with Portugal, plans for the “Europe-Africa Gibraltar Strait fixed link” — a tunnel under the sea between Spain and Morocco — and attracting industry have become Morocco’s priority, she added.
Jennifer Holleis is a DW editor and commentator focusing on the Middle East and North Africa. This article is published courtesy of Deutsche Welle (DW).
