Morocco to host African, European meeting on illegal immigration

Morocco yesterday flew 140 illegal migrants to Senegal and agreed with Spain to host an African-European meeting to stem the surge in illegal immigration from the continent to the prosperous European bloc.

Another 400 illegal migrants were expected to be deported later in the day to Senegal and Mali, according to authorities in the northeastern city of Oujda, near the border with Algeria.

Morocco on Monday sent home 280 migrants from Senegal. It was the first organised deportation after hundreds of sub-Saharan African migrants repeatedly tried in recent weeks to cross razor-wire fences around the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, the only EU territories in mainland Africa.

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos met Moroccan officials in Rabat yesterday and announced plans for a meeting of African and European leaders on the issue.

Mr Moratinos expressed Madrid's "deepest recognition" for Rabat's "outstanding cooperation against a problem which also concerns Africa and Europe".

"The meeting... should tackle all aspects of illegal immigration and establish mechanisms to control migration flows on the basis of partnerships," a spokesman of Morocco's foreign ministry said.

No date has been set for the meeting but a foreign ministry source said it should take place before the end of the year.

Mr Moratinos could not say if the two countries agreed on immediate measures to deal with illegal immigration.