Morocco in North Africa is across the sea from Europe, and Spain is opposite. If you want to enter Europe from Africa, the nearest route is to Morocco, which can be reached by any kind of boat.
Due to the special status of Morocco, the North African country was tasked with defending Europe. As long as Morocco could prevent smugglers from entering the sea in Morocco, the number of smugglers would be greatly reduced. Or in other words, it could save the lives of thousands of stowaways. In 2020, 1,776 people died among stowaways across the sea, 1,924 in 2021, and more than 2,000 in 2022.
Since it is the border between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, the sea here swallows up many stowaways. In the past 2023, Morocco has saved 16,818 people from the sea. That's a 35% increase over 2022, or last year, a 35% increase in smugglers.
There are many people who want to smuggle people from Morocco. Last year, Morocco dismantled 419 smuggling organizations, an increase of 44 per cent over the previous year.
Most of the smugglers come from countries south Africa, and their skin and appearance are markedly different from those of Moroccans. This makes it difficult for stowaways not to be detected in Morocco. Morocco has played a significant role in preventing smugglers from taking advantage of Morocco's advantageous geographical location by receiving 340 million euros in funding from the European Union to prevent smugglers from going to Europe.
However, Africa's development has not kept pace, and there has never been a shortage of people who intend to smuggle migrants. They are now bypassing Morocco and going to the sea to take even greater risks.