During a bilateral visit to Brussels on 23 October, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot and Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita not only announced Belgium’s official endorsement of Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara but also inked a far-reaching cooperation agreement covering justice, security and migration management.
The accord provides for joint liaison officers, faster readmission of irregular migrants and exchange of biometric data under EU privacy rules. Belgian officials say the deal will help “close gaps” exploited by smuggling networks moving through Spain and France toward Belgium’s ports and logistics hubs.
For Moroccan nationals, the political endorsement could pave the way for streamlined visa issuance for business travel and seasonal work – a long-standing request from Belgian agriculture firms facing labour shortages. Diplomats indicated that Schengen short-stay visa issuance in Rabat and Casablanca could shift to a ‘trusted-traveller’ model for vetted applicants if migration cooperation benchmarks are met.
Human-rights groups criticised the move, warning that increased readmission may expose migrants to inadequate safeguards in Moroccan detention facilities. The Belgian government counters that the agreement is aligned with its broader strategy to link trade, aid and visa benefits to countries’ willingness to take back nationals who overstay.
Context: Belgium received 39,600 asylum claims in 2024, an 11.6 % rise year-on-year, and is under pressure to reduce reception-centre overcrowding. The new accord offers a template for similar deals with Tunisia and Egypt that the Belgian Interior Ministry says are currently under negotiation.
The accord provides for joint liaison officers, faster readmission of irregular migrants and exchange of biometric data under EU privacy rules. Belgian officials say the deal will help “close gaps” exploited by smuggling networks moving through Spain and France toward Belgium’s ports and logistics hubs.
For Moroccan nationals, the political endorsement could pave the way for streamlined visa issuance for business travel and seasonal work – a long-standing request from Belgian agriculture firms facing labour shortages. Diplomats indicated that Schengen short-stay visa issuance in Rabat and Casablanca could shift to a ‘trusted-traveller’ model for vetted applicants if migration cooperation benchmarks are met.
Human-rights groups criticised the move, warning that increased readmission may expose migrants to inadequate safeguards in Moroccan detention facilities. The Belgian government counters that the agreement is aligned with its broader strategy to link trade, aid and visa benefits to countries’ willingness to take back nationals who overstay.
Context: Belgium received 39,600 asylum claims in 2024, an 11.6 % rise year-on-year, and is under pressure to reduce reception-centre overcrowding. The new accord offers a template for similar deals with Tunisia and Egypt that the Belgian Interior Ministry says are currently under negotiation.
