Migration crisis Morocco calls for 'Marshall Plan', EU okays

Moroccan Minister of Interior Al Mustafa Sahel called on Monday for a "Marshall Plan" in favour of sub-Saharan Africa to help resolve the causes of illegal immigration to Europe, using the Moroccan territory as a transit point. His call was welcomed by the European Union (EU) a day later.

The original Marshall Plan, named after the US Secretary of State George C. Marshall during the late 1940s, was an aid programme created by the US to help revive European countries torn by World War II.

Sahel issued the appeal on Monday at a press conference held on the sidelines of the 11th Mediterranean interior ministers' summit in Rabat.

He urged Mediterranean countries to cooperate more effectively against illegal migration, pleading for a "genuine Marshall plan in favor of the countries of sub-Saharan Africa,” and calling on the European Union (EU) to facilitate procedures for legal immigration.

The Minister's call came only a few days after the Spanish occupied cities of Sebta and Melilla, northern Morocco, were stormed by synchronized massive attacks by thousands of sub-Saharan immigrants, who used makeshift wooden ladders to climb the two cities' barbed-wire border fences.

In response to the Moroccan plea, the EU said on Tuesday it is ready to send experts to the Kingdom in an attempt to help solve the crisis.

EU Justice and Security Commissioner Franco Frattini said the bloc will provide the Moroccan government with financial aid to deal with the phenomenon. But Morocco, in return, will have to agree to take back any illegal immigrant who crossed to Europe through the Moroccan borders with the two Spanish enclaves.

"We are going to send the message to the Moroccans that Europe stands ready to commit itself very quickly on the ground as well, but Europe also requires a strong and clear commitment on the part of Morocco," Frattini told a news conference.

The EU's top justice official said the bloc expects Rabat to sign an agreement before the end of this year to take back the illegal migrants.

He added that the EU experts are expected in Morocco "in a matter of days", underscoring that the bloc is working on allocating money released from a 40 million euro fund established to boost Moroccan efforts in border controls.

Morocco has recently deployed more police and army forces on the borders with Sebta and Melilla, in an attempt to restrain the flow of illegal migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa. The Moroccan Ministry of Interior also said police has detained hundreds of illegal migrants, mostly sub-Saharans.

The move came following last week's incidents on the Melilla borders, where hundreds of sub-Saharan would-be immigrants attempted to break through the border fences around the Spanish occupied town in a series of massive stampedes.

Up to 200 succeeded in scaling the 3m barbed-wire fence early on Wednesday, while another 100 had managed to cross the borders a day before in a similar move.

Five people were reported killed and almost 30 others, including policemen, were injured in the assaults, which the Spanish authorities qualified as the biggest and most dramatic events ever to occur on the borders of the 63,000-population enclave, which constitutes a stepping stone to Europe.

On Monday, about 135 people were injured when 700 sub-Saharan migrants attempted to break through the border fences of Melilla, with a total of 350 managing to cross when the fence collapsed.

The injured included four Spanish police officers and three soldiers.

The mass attempt was the fourth in less than a week.

Spain had announced earlier in September that it would double the height of the Melilla border fence, as a response to the massive flow of African illegal immigrants, mostly sub-Saharans.

Built in the late 1990s, the separation barbed-wire barrier is a barricade equipped with regular watch-posts, security video cameras and fibre-optic sensors.

Its height will be raised from three metres to six. With a total cost of USD 930,000, the works are due to be completed by the end of this year.

Spanish officials reported that more than 11,000 would-be immigrants have tried to force their way into the occupied Moroccan city in “synchronized” and “violent” massive assaults since the start of 2005.

[brim]

Jeffff what was the source of the article?

The EU.

[brim]

Do you have a URL for it?

B

[Ma_Li_Ka]

It was the voice of the Makhzen

http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/ar...idr=2&id=10093

Very easy to look up, Brim, Copy and paste the intro and google it!

Originally Posted by Ma_Li_Ka

It was the voice of the Makhzen

http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/ar...idr=2&id=10093

Very easy to look up, Brim, Copy and paste the intro and google it!

Why do you call it the voice of the Makhzen. Are you a Mkhazniya?

[Ma_Li_Ka]

Originally Posted by Jefferson8

Why do you call it the voice of the Makhzen. Are you a Mkhazniya?

no but you are