Marlaska agrees with Algeria on a new return protocol and action against boats smuggling migrants.
Marlaska has spoken of Algeria as a "key partner" in stopping the "growing phenomenon" of criminal networks.
PalmInterior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska agreed this Monday with his Algerian counterpart, Said Sayoud, to strengthen the fight against criminal human trafficking networks by updating the return protocol and promoting new measures to limit the use of speedboats, as well as combat fraud.
During Marlaska's fourth visit to Algeria, the Interior Minister expressed his gratitude for the work carried out by the North African country and highlighted that in 2024 it "intercepted 30,000 illegal departures." According to a press release from the Ministry of the Interior, Marlaska and his Algerian counterpart, the Minister of the Interior, Local Authorities, and Transport, Said Sayoud, pledged to strengthen the fight against human trafficking "to be more effective in this shared challenge." Marlaska has spoken of Algeria as a "key partner" in halting the "growing phenomenon" of criminal networks that, in addition to trafficking people, "risking their lives and increasing their links to drug trafficking."
The latest statistics on irregular arrivals of migrants to the State, both by sea and land, represent a 35.9% decrease through October 15. The decrease in the Canary Islands by sea is notable, marking a 59% drop, although irregular arrivals to the Peninsula and the Balearic Islands, the well-known "Algerian route," represent a 22% increase compared to the previous year, registering 12,252 arrivals.
Relaunch the return agreement
Both delegations analyzed new possibilities for bilateral cooperation, already discussed at the recent meeting of the Joint Monitoring Committee for the Security Agreement between Spain and Algeria, held on October 13 in Madrid.
Thus, both ministers committed to "relaunching" the 2002 return agreement. "A joint technical committee will analyze whether it needs to be updated to be more effective," Marlaska explained after the meeting, which also announced collaborative measures to combat fraud. During the meeting, the Interior Ministers agreed on the importance of "intensifying" the exchange of information between the security services responsible for investigating organized crime, in addition to sharing working protocols and promoting the detection of false documentation.
