Study questions balance of Morocco-EU migration cooperation, calls for shared responsibility

A new analysis has questioned whether Morocco’s migration cooperation framework with the European Union ensures a fair balance between the two sides, arguing that European priorities still play a major role in shaping how migration is managed beyond the bloc’s borders.

The analysis, published by migration research center, examines the European Commission’s 2026 report on the state of the Schengen area and its implications for countries of origin and transit, including Morocco.

The study says European migration policy is moving toward a more connected system that brings together border controls, visa policies, information-sharing systems, security cooperation and deportation procedures. These changes increasingly affect countries outside the EU through migration partnerships, data exchanges, operational cooperation and readmission arrangements.

It argues that countries in the Global South should not be limited to implementing European migration priorities but should have a stronger role in negotiating the policies and tools used to manage migration.

“Genuine migration governance” requires moving away from cooperation focused mainly on border control toward an approach based on reciprocity, shared responsibility, rights protection and recognition of the interests of all countries involved, the analysis says.

The study identifies Morocco’s cooperation with the EU as an example of how European migration policies extend beyond the bloc’s borders. It points to the 2013 Mobility Partnership signed by Morocco, the EU and several member states, as well as a joint declaration adopted by the EU-Morocco Association Council on June 27, 2019.

These agreements provide an institutional framework covering several aspects of migration, including mobility, border control, funding and the return of migrants.

However, the analysis warns that combining these issues within bilateral agreements does not automatically guarantee that both sides share responsibilities equally.

It also cautions against viewing Morocco’s relationship with the EU as a one-sided arrangement, noting that Rabat has its own political and economic interests, as well as room to negotiate.

The central question, according to the analysis, is whether cooperation can balance European priorities with Morocco’s national sovereignty and ensure a fair distribution of responsibilities.

The study places this debate within a wider challenge facing countries in the Global South: taking part in international migration governance without being reduced to enforcing policies whose main priorities are decided elsewhere.

It calls for a more balanced partnership in which countries of origin and transit have a meaningful say in migration policies, rather than simply carrying out border-control measures designed by destination countries.