Moroccan authorities foiled 60,192 attempts of illegal migration and obliterated 250 organized rings involved in this migration since the beginning of 2023, according to the Interior Ministry’s report, which is expected to be addressed by a parliamentary committee on Thursday as part of the examination of the 2023 budget draft.
The report also revealed that 3,317 would-be migrants were deported to their countries of origin during the current year in coordination with the International Organization for Migration in Morocco. Additionally, since the beginning of 2023, the Royal Navy has rescued 10,405 migrants–including 6,495 of foreign nationalities–as they commenced their maritime migratory journeys to Europe via hand-crafted vessels.
The Ministry of Interior revealed in the report that police services doubled down in their efforts to combat criminal networks operating in migrant smuggling and human trafficking.
The report added that the Moroccan government is working to encourage the voluntary return of migrants residing in Morocco illegally in coordination with the diplomatic bodies of their respective countries accredited in Morocco.
Approximately 2,300 individuals were given refugee status in Morocco as of September 18, 2022, as the Ministry is working to regularize the situation of persons registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.