First Independent Mena Newspaper
Abdelhak Khiame, Head of Morocco’s counterterrorism agency, the Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), said that the Kingdom is working on a new strategy to track Moroccans who become radicalized in Europe as part of beefed-up counterterrorism measures. In an interview with the Associated Press, Khiame noted that the crackdown on radicalized individuals abroad comes […]
As the search intensifies to arrest the terrorists involved in the Catalonia attacks, the residual danger posed by ISIS foreign fighters in North Africa and Europe comes to the fore, said the Guardian in an article entitled “Moroccan ISIS terrorists ‘pose a threat on Europe’s doorstep” “Up to 1,000 jihadists are thought to have been […]
In their quest to reach the European Eldorado, migrants are increasingly shunning the Libyan routes for security reasons in favor of the closer and less risky Moroccan-Spanish land and sea borders. Deaths in sea embarkations, almost impenetrable six-meter high fence and heavily patrolled land borders on the Moroccan and Spanish sides seem not dissuading thousands […]
French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that France will start processing asylum seekers’ applications in Libya as of this summer, in a move to curb the deadly crossing of the Mediterranean by illegal migrants. “The idea is to create hotspots to avoid that people take crazy risks when they are not all eligible for asylum. […]
Libyan authorities have rescued in two separate operations on Monday at least 278 migrants as they tried to reach Europe. In one operation, 150 African migrants including two women and four children, were saved by Libyan coastguards after their inflatable boat engine broke down and started to sink. The migrants were brought ashore to a […]
The Libyan navy has claimed that the country’s sovereignty is being jeopardized by international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) that are helping illegal migrants trying to reach Europe through Italy from the Libyan shores. Spokesman Ayoub Qassim of the Libyan navy pointed out that “the humanitarian NGOs are blocking any agreements that help Libya uproot immigration issues; […]
Fears are growing in Algeria over the possibility of the non-renewal by Morocco of the contract governing the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline, which transports Algerian gas through Morocco and the Strait of Gibraltar to Spain and Europe. Concerns were voiced in the Algerian press, speculating about a potential cessation of the contract, which expires in 2021 […]
Moroccan intelligence agencies have accomplished another feat of arms as they tipped their European counterparts about the whereabouts of a senior ISIS member, commonly called the “Minister of Finance” of the terrorist group. The intelligence provided by the Moroccan agencies enabled to identify the terrorist, a Danish of Moroccan origin, who was handling huge amounts […]
Germany pledged Thursday to provide an additional $3.9 million to help Libya improve living conditions of refugees in the North African country. The pledge comes in response to a call from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. The German assistance was announced during the visit Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel paid to Tripoli. He said Germany is […]
Europe should brace for a new wave of migrants and refugees said a leaked German intelligence report, estimating the number of migrants waiting in North African countries, Turkey and the Middle East at around 6.6 million. The report, seen by German Bild newspaper, said at least 2.5 million migrants are waiting in North Africa for […]