First Independent Mena Newspaper
IOM, the UN Migration Agency, reports that 84,345 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2018 through 3 October, with 38,451 to Spain, the leading destination this year. The data show a drop in the region’s total arrivals compared with 139,677 arrivals across the region through the same period last year, and 312,153 at […]
The Euromed University of Fez has received over €13 million, donated by the European Union via the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the construction and equipment of its eco-friendly campus. This world-class campus, to be built over 26 ha area, will be able to accommodate about 7,000 students and 650 staff members of diverse nationalities […]
Morocco reiterates its refusal of hosting migrant detention centers known as disembarkation platforms allowing the EU to externalize its asylum and migration policies. In an interview with German newspaper Die Welt, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita reaffirmed that his country “is generally opposed to all kinds of centers,” “This is part of our migration policy […]
Morocco’s Justice Minister Mohamed Aujjar canceled a visit to the Netherlands against the backdrop of diplomatic tensions between the two countries after Morocco accused the Netherlands of meddling in its internal affairs. The Dutch Foreign Minister had submitted to his parliament a report describing the verdict against Rif activists as a “matter of concern.” The […]
Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita reiterated rejection of any interference in Morocco’s internal affairs after the Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok handed, few weeks ago, a report to Dutch Parliament on the events of the Rif . In the report, the Dutch foreign minister described the verdict against Rif activists as a “matter of concern.” The Foreign […]
Morocco’s BCP bank started talks with French BCPE bank to buy major stakes in four of its African banks. BCP said in a statement it aims at acquiring BPCE’s controlling stakes in Cameroon, Madagascar, Congo and Tunisia. The French bank owns 68.5% of Banque Internationale du Cameroun pour l’Épargne et le Crédit (BICEC); 71% of […]
The process towards the adoption of the Morocco-EU farm and fisheries agreements “is moving in the right direction,” said Moroccan Minister of Agriculture and Maritime Fisheries, Aziz Akhannouch, following talks in Brussels Wednesday with EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan. Akhannouch expressed optimism about the process, which, he said, “moves in the […]
A combat vessel of the Moroccan Royal Navy, patrolling the country’s Mediterranean coast, was forced on Tuesday to open fire on a high-speed boat carrying illegal migrants after it refused to respond to its warnings and obey its orders. The smuggling speedboat was driven by a Spaniard in the northern Moroccan waters. He refused to […]
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced a €4.3 million loan to Moroccan packaging company Multisac SA, which specializes in the production of woven polypropylene bags. It is the first local company benefitting from EBRD’s and EU’s Trade and Competitiveness Program, which aims to improve value chains and make businesses more competitive […]
Morocco’s Royal Navy and the Royal Gendarmerie have thwarted an illegal migration attempt to Europe from the country’s Northern Martil Beach. A Navy combat vessel monitoring the Mediterranean coast of the North African Kingdom has chased on Sept.22-23 a very high-speed boat, which was trying to reach the Martil beach to pick up illegal migrants, […]