Morocco pulls migration rug from under Spain’s feet
Morocco has once again proven its sincere migration cooperation in ordering a facilitation of the return of identified and unaccompanied migrants from the European Union, thus pulling the rug from under the feet of some Spanish circles who seek to mislead the public opinion about the genuine political causes of the crisis between Madrid and Rabat.
King Mohammed VI has reiterated this Tuesday instructions for the Interior and Foreign Ministries to readmit Moroccan unaccompanied and duly identified minors residing illegally in the EU, a statement of the two ministries said, underscoring that Morocco has always cooperated with the EU in readmitting minors, notably with France and Spain.
Spanish media continued to spit its venom on Morocco by seeking desperately to dissociate the migration crisis from its political context marked by what Rabat has described as a breach of trust and neighborliness.
Spain has admitted a separatist leader under a false identity and without telling Rabat. A short migration crisis was sparked in the occupied enclave of Ceuta which analysts described as a reminder from Morocco to the burden it is carrying to curb migration flows.
Morocco has been complaining since April about the presence of the mercenaries’ chief Brahim Ghali in Spain but no one was listening to it until the short migration crisis was sparked and quickly contained.
Most adult migrants who have crossed to Ceuta have been returned and Rabat gave instructions to ease the readmission of identified minors. After all Ceuta has never been recognized as Spanish city by Morocco.
This leaves Spain before its responsibilities in undermining bilateral partnership with Morocco.
Using migration to galvanize public opinion against Morocco is not sticking either. Arrivals from Algeria until April were higher than those from Morocco until the recent crossing to Ceuta took place.
Morocco made it clear that it cooperates in countering illegal migration out of a spirit of partnership and shared responsibility and that it was no the policeman of the EU. Funding from the EU is not even close to 20% of what Morocco spends on countering irregular migration.
Without Morocco’s security apparatus to stop irregular migration flows there is nothing from the other side of the border.
Moroccan diplomacy has reiterated over the past few days that all attempts by the Spanish government to portray the bilateral crisis as a migration crisis is actually an attempt to distract attention from the genuine causes: Lack of mutual respect.
Whether Ghali leaves the country is not the heart of the problem. That is for sure a test for the Spanish judiciary. The heart of the crisis is to be found in Spain’s ambiguity and its tacit plotting with Algeria against Morocco’s territorial integrity.
Had Morocco received a Catalan separatist leader, what could have been Spain’s reaction?
What does Spain want? This question by foreign ministry remains unanswered so far.
“One cannot just fight separatism at home and encourage it in a neighboring country,” Morocco made it clear.
