France and Morocco Form Task Force to Expedite Migrant Repatriation

Bruno Retailleau was in Rabat this Monday. A visit that follows Emmanuel Macron’s state visit last October and is part of the dynamic of warming bilateral relations between France and Morocco, after Paris’s recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara. This decision marked the end of a long diplomatic crisis between the two countries, with the issues of the Sahara and visas granted to Moroccans in the background.

During his visit to Rabat, Emmanuel Macron had expressed a desire for a "strengthened partnership" between Rabat and Paris in the fight against illegal immigration and various forms of trafficking. In this vein, Retailleau announced in Rabat the upcoming establishment of a Franco-Moroccan group aimed at "improving cooperation for readmissions". This group will be particularly responsible for "determining whether or not individuals have Moroccan nationality" for migrants in irregular situations.

"I think having mixed French and Moroccan teams to carry out this identification work will change things enormously," said the French Minister of the Interior, after his one-on-one meeting with his Moroccan counterpart, Abdelouafi Laftit. In a statement, the latter reaffirmed "the total commitment of the Moroccan side to work towards the development of a common framework".

Moreover, the French recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara was not well received by Algeria, an ally of the Polisario in the Sahara conflict. This decision by France in favor of Morocco is at the origin of the current tensions between Paris and Algiers. According to French diplomacy, Algeria has just asked 12 French officials to leave its territory.