Strengthening Security Cooperation Between Morocco and Spain in Preparation for the 2030 World Cup

The Minister of the Interior, Abdelouafi Laftit, and his Spanish counterpart, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, met this Monday (10.02.2025) in Madrid to coordinate efforts and define a security collaboration strategy for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Spain, Morocco, and Portugal.

Grande-Marlaska emphasized the importance of this cooperation, stating that “the unification of efforts between our security management experts is essential to ensure the smooth running of an event of such international magnitude.” According to the Spanish Ministry, teams from both countries have already begun sharing experiences and working methodologies.

During this meeting, held at the Spanish Ministry of the Interior headquarters, both delegations attended a presentation on security management for major sporting events. As an example, the security measures implemented for the match between Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid, held last Saturday at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, were detailed.

Spanish security officials outlined the measures in place, including basement inspections, surveillance of fan gathering areas, monitoring of team and fan arrivals, as well as access and grandstand control within the stadium. The functioning of the “Organizational Control Unit” room at the Santiago Bernabéu, which coordinates police actions with the support of drones, firefighters, the Red Cross, and emergency medical services, was also presented.

This sports security cooperation is part of a close police collaboration between the two countries. “Our commitment is to strengthen this climate of mutual trust to continue combating terrorism, violent radicalization, and organized crime,” stated Grande-Marlaska.

During the meeting, the Spanish minister praised Morocco’s “strong commitment” to fighting migrant smuggling networks, describing the kingdom as a “reliable and loyal partner” for Spain and the European Union in facing migration challenges.

Thanks to this bilateral cooperation, the number of irregular migrant arrivals in Spain has significantly decreased, as have the attempts to breach the borders of Sebta and Melillia. In this context, the two ministers agreed to organize a new meeting of the Permanent Hispano-Moroccan Migration Dialogue Group in Madrid soon, following the last session held in Marrakech on October 21.

Grande-Marlaska took the opportunity to thank his Moroccan counterpart for Morocco’s assistance to the province of Valencia, where Moroccan teams participated in cleanup operations after the floods caused by the “dana.” He highlighted that this aid had “considerable human, health, and economic value.”

Finally, both delegations reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation within the framework of the Strait Crossing Operation, which recorded a record number of passengers in 2024. A new meeting of the Hispano-Moroccan Joint Commission will be held in Madrid next May to prepare for the 2025 edition of this large-scale operation.