Spanish intelligence official calls for EU-Moroccan agreement to curb migration

Upcoming European action: Calls for adopting a ‘Turkey-deal’ model with Morocco to address migration

In statements reflecting an increasing Spanish recognition of the importance of Morocco’s role in border control, Félix Sanz Roldán, the former director of Spain’s National Intelligence Center (CNI), has called on the European Union to review its cooperation mechanisms with the Kingdom of Morocco. The former intelligence official demanded the establishment of a new financing agreement similar to the one Brussels concluded with Turkey, to enable Morocco to manage the flow of migrants arriving from sub-Saharan Africa more effectively.

Migration crisis: A challenge that transcends Spanish borders

These calls were made during an open meeting in Madrid, in direct response to questions regarding the rise of irregular migration waves and the pressure experienced in border areas. Sanz Roldán emphasized that the scale of challenges Morocco faces in this file far exceeds what Spain suffers, noting that migrants often stay in Moroccan territory for periods ranging from two to three months before attempting to cross, which imposes significant logistical and security burdens on Moroccan authorities.

Dialogue and cooperation: The only way toward stability

The speaker stressed that the migration crisis is not just a passing security issue, but a file that requires permanent and continuous coordination between Morocco, Spain, and the European Union. He explained that any attempt to deal with this situation outside the framework of dialogue and joint cooperation would lead to chaos, considering that investing in financial and technical support for Morocco is the only practical solution to ensure that scenarios of mass incursions are not repeated and to control the borders in a way that serves the common interests of all parties.

These statements confirm once again that the Spanish approach has begun to move away from unilateral solutions and is heading towards strengthening a strategic partnership with Morocco, as it is the primary actor and the first line of defense against the phenomenon of illegal migration in the Mediterranean basin.