The working visit to Rabat by the Belgian Minister of Justice, Annelies Verlinden, comes at a time marked by the desire of the Belgian authorities to strengthen their cooperation with Morocco on several sensitive issues, particularly those related to irregular migration, the identification of Moroccan nationals in an illegal situation, and the execution of return decisions.
Received by the Moroccan Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi, the Belgian official discussed with her counterpart various aspects of judicial and institutional cooperation between the two countries. Although the exchanges officially focused on the modernization of judicial systems, the digitalization of services, and the strengthening of partnerships between the administrations concerned, the migration issue occupied a significant place in the discussions.
For several years, Belgium has been seeking to improve cooperation mechanisms with countries of origin in order to speed up the identification and repatriation procedures for persons in an irregular stay who are subject to a deportation decision. Within this framework, Morocco remains an essential partner given the importance of the human and historical ties that unite the two countries.
The Belgian authorities consider that close cooperation with Rabat is an indispensable element to make the administrative and judicial procedures related to returns more effective. For its part, Morocco continues to strengthen its institutional relations with its European partners while ensuring respect for the rights of its nationals and the legal frameworks governing these operations.
The two ministers also discussed means to further develop the exchange of expertise, strengthen coordination between the competent institutions, and improve cooperation mechanisms in the fight against organized crime and transnational networks.
At the end of the meeting, Abdellatif Ouahbi highlighted the quality of relations between Rabat and Brussels as well as the common will to pursue dialogue on issues of shared interest. Several topics are also expected to be the subject of technical and institutional meetings in the coming months.
For Annelies Verlinden, this visit bears witness to the solidity of the partnership between the two countries. The Belgian minister notably stressed the need to deepen judicial and security cooperation in order to respond to the common challenges faced by authorities on both sides of the Mediterranean.
Beyond the judicial aspects, this meeting is part of a broader dynamic of bilateral cooperation where migration, security, and administrative issues now occupy a central place. In a European context marked by the tightening of migration policies and by the desire of several states to increase the effectiveness of return procedures, the dialogue between Morocco and Belgium appears destined to strengthen further in the years to come.
