Morocco says it’s cutting illegal migrant crossings to Spain

Khalid Zerouali, director of Migration and Border Surveillance in Morocco’s Interior Ministry, said the North African kingdom, now migrants’ main gateway to Europe, is using new tactics to cut into the surge of migrants, aborting about 25,000 attempts to reach Spain so far this year. (AP)

• Zerouali attributed the decrease in crossings to new surveillance technology and reinforced manpower
• The number of migrants arriving in Spain last year was about 60,000

RABAT, Morocco: Morocco’s border security chief says the North African kingdom is using new tactics to cut into the surge of migrants seeking to reach Europe, stopping about 25,000 attempts to reach Spain so far this year.
Khalid Zerouali says this amounts to about 30 percent more failed bids to cross to Spain, mainly via the Strait of Gibraltar, compared with the same period last year.
Speaking to The Associated Press on Thursday, Zerouali attributed the decrease in crossings to new surveillance technology and reinforced manpower, as well as action against human traffickers.
The number of migrants arriving in Spain last year was about 60,000, eclipsing the figures for Italy and Greece. Almost all arrived by sea.
Despite EU aid and cooperation, Zerouali mainly credited his own country with making a dent in migrant crossings.