According to the ministry’s data, the Royal Navy rescued 9,518 people from drowning, of various nationalities, during their attempts to cross to the European side. The data indicated that by September 2024, 48,963 attempts to smuggle migrants were thwarted, and 210 criminal networks involved in this type of smuggling were dismantled.
Experts suggest that Morocco’s security operations and shutdowns in the north have contributed to reducing irregular migration. However, illegal migration gangs have become more active in southern Morocco and across many other cities. Experts believe that the security forces’ efforts to combat illegal migration remain temporary due to ongoing tensions in several African countries, which push migrants towards Morocco, who insist on crossing to the European side by all means.
Moroccan human rights advocate Omar Naji stated that northern Morocco has seen a significant decrease in migration flows towards Europe or in the direction of Melilla and Ceuta compared to previous years. Naji noted that migration later shifted to a non-free maritime route controlled by organized migration networks, which imposed fees of up to 1.2 million centimes per person (approximately 1300 USD) and have significant logistics.
He pointed out that these networks operate secretly and through intermediaries located in various areas to find clients, who are then transported to the agreed coastal starting points for departure to Spain. Regarding the repercussions of tensions in the Sahel region, he mentioned that wars and tensions fuel migration via the Moroccan route, especially concerning Sudan. Since 2021, there has been a significant influx of Sudanese youth towards eastern Morocco through the Algerian border.
He explained that the main challenges are human rights-related, concerning Morocco’s obligations under the treaties it has signed, which require it to respect the rights of migrant workers, their families, and asylum seekers. Migration expert Hassan Bentaleb said that the statistics are issued by the Moroccan Ministry of Interior, without confirmation from other sources.
In statements to Sputnik, he added that recent years have seen a significant decline in thwarting illegal migration operations. He also noted that the official figures lack details regarding nationalities, ages, and other specifics. Bentaleb pointed out that Morocco is not the only route for illegal migration, as some take the Libya and Tunisia route, while Morocco continues its security approach initiated in 2017, and northern Morocco witnesses a complete closure for young people wanting to migrate by sea.
According to experts, there are indicators that smuggling networks’ activities are witnessing a qualitative escalation, as these networks adapt to security strikes by changing their routes to less monitored areas (such as the southern provinces or the Lesser Atlas).
