EU finalizing multibillion-Euro deal with Morocco, Jordan to curb migration

The European Union is close to finalizing multibillion-euro agreements with Jordan and Morocco to enhance collaboration on curbing migration to the bloc, said Brussels’ new commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica, in a statement to Financial Times.

Šuica mentioned that Morocco would be the next country after Jordan for a deal. She noted, “Morocco is one of the most important ones,”–though Brussels needed to consider the impact of the status of Western Sahara — a disputed territory claimed by Rabat, added the same source.

Earlier this year, “the European Court of Justice ruled that a fishing and agriculture deal between the EU and Morocco was invalid because it violated the right to self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.” However, Šuica said, “the impact of this ruling on a possible deal with Morocco was being assessed.”

Brussels’ new commissioner for the Mediterranean explained that “the agreements with Jordan and Morocco would be of a similar scale to the one with Egypt, covering trade and energy projects, along with measures to manage migration.”

The commission revealed that Morocco and the EU have a long history of collaboration on migration control, with the EU providing Rabat over €2.1 billion between 2014 and 2022.

For context, human rights activists and politicians have strongly criticized the EU for its agreements with Egypt, and especially with Tunisia, over accusations of human rights violations.

In this regard, Šuica emphasized that partner countries “must meet the criteria outlined in these partnership agreements, which include a human rights clause,” adding that “no cent will be disbursed to any of these countries before they fulfill their milestones from this human rights clause.”

The commissioner announced that an agreement with Jordan is almost ready and is expected to be signed by King Abdullah in Brussels by late January or early February.