Spanish Interior Minister Visits Morocco to Discuss Migration Strategy After Nador Tragedy

The violence of the latest assault by sub-Saharan migrants is a concern for both Morocco and Spain, who want to avoid such events from happening again in the future. The tragedy in Nador has shown the need for the two countries to coordinate their actions in order to put in place an effective strategy to block the smuggling networks. These various concerns justify the visit to Morocco by Fernando Grande Marlaska, who will have a working meeting with Abdelouafi Laftit, according to an EFE dispatch.

For this working visit, the Spanish Interior Minister is coming to Morocco with the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, given the importance of the issue of irregular immigration for Europe, which has recognized and welcomed the efforts made by Morocco to combat this phenomenon. Following the tragedy in Nador, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had called on the European Union to show solidarity with Morocco.

The European Commissioner for Home Affairs had stated on Sunday that "the events at the Melilla border post are deeply disturbing. First for the loss of human life. Secondly, the forced and violent crossing of an international border can never be tolerated," she wrote on her Twitter account, adding that "this tragedy underlines why we need safe, realistic and long-term pathways that reduce desperate and doomed journeys".