In 2024, Morocco prevents 45,000 migrants from entering Europe

Morocco’s official news agency MAP said on Friday that it had prevented 45,015 individuals from traveling to Europe illegally since January and had dismantled 177 gangs that traffic in migrants, according to information from the interior ministry.

Comparable data for the same period in 2023 was not provided, and when Reuters asked the interior ministry for comment, it did not provide one.

According to official data, Morocco prevented 75,184 individuals from entering Europe illegally last year, an increase of 6% over the previous year.

According to MAP, which cited statistics from the interior ministry, the Moroccan navy has also saved 10,859 migrants at sea so far this year.

“In 2024, Morocco continues to face an increasing migratory pressure as a direct outcome of the prevailing instability in the Sahel region and porous borders,” it reported the government as saying.

The nation in North Africa has historically served as a key hub for African migrants hoping to go to Europe via the Atlantic, Mediterranean, or by breaching the border separating the Spanish enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta. Since they resolved a different diplomatic dispute in 2022, Morocco and Spain have increased their collaboration in combating illegal immigration.

However, Spanish authorities reported that hundreds of migrants swam to Ceuta last month, taking advantage of a dense mist.

The riskier and lengthier Atlantic route to the Canary Islands is being attempted by more migrants as a result of increased surveillance of Morocco’s northern borders.