(Reuters) Morocco and Spain pledged on Wednesday to cooperate more closely to curb illegal migration, an issue fuelling the growth of far-right and populist politics in Europe, following a near halving of migrant arrivals in mainland Spain this year from 2018.
The two countries will work together to counter illegal migration networks, terrorism and organized crime, Spanish Interior Minister Grande-Marlaska Gómez told reporters after talks with Moroccan counterpart Abdelouafi Laftit.
Recent years have seen hundreds of thousands of migrants a year attempting the journey to Europe from North Africa, with thousands dying at sea.
Tougher enforcement has brought the numbers down, but attitudes to the migrants have become one of the main faultlines in European politics, driving the rise of parties who want tougher policies.
