{"id":3104,"date":"2025-10-27T13:02:50","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T13:02:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/menamagazine.com\/?p=3104"},"modified":"2025-10-27T13:02:50","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T13:02:50","slug":"belgium-and-morocco-strengthen-ties-with-agreement-on-migrant-returns-and-western-sahara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themena.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/27\/belgium-and-morocco-strengthen-ties-with-agreement-on-migrant-returns-and-western-sahara\/","title":{"rendered":"Belgium and Morocco strengthen ties with agreement on migrant returns and Western Sahara"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Following in the footsteps of France, Germany, the United States and the European Union, Belgium has now formally declared its support for Morocco\u2019s autonomy plan for the disputed territory of Western Sahara. At the same time, the two countries have concluded a bilateral agreement to facilitate the return of irregular migrants with criminal convictions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a renewed effort to address one of the most persistent challenges in Belgian asylum and migration policy: the repatriation process. Currently, three in ten inmates in Belgian prisons are in the country illegally. Despite the incoming government\u2019s ambition to reduce this number, progress has been slow, De Tijd reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the first half of this year, Belgium\u2019s Immigration Office repatriated just 717 convicted offenders, primarily to Morocco (147), Albania (115) and Algeria (73). Under the new deal, Morocco has agreed to accept a greater number of offenders residing illegally in Belgium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In exchange, Belgium will extend diplomatic support to Morocco\u2019s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara, a region that has been at the centre of an international dispute for almost 50 years. The agreement was announced following talks between Belgian Foreign minister Maxime Pr\u00e9vot (Les Engag\u00e9s) and his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita in Brussels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a press conference, Pr\u00e9vot confirmed that Belgium would now formally and diplomatically support Morocco\u2019s plan for Western Sahara. While Belgium had previously hinted at alignment with Rabat\u2019s initiative, this marks its first official endorsement. The autonomy plan has already been endorsed by the United States, France, Germany and the European Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Morocco\u2019s proposal for Western Sahara sets out plans for the creation of a Sahara Autonomous Region with its own legislative and executive institutions. The plan clearly defines the division of powers, stipulating that the Moroccan central government would retain control over national security, defence, foreign affairs, justice, currency and national symbols, while devolving substantial powers to the regional administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Spanish province to no man’s land<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Until 1975, Western Sahara was a Spanish overseas province known as Spanish Sahara. A decade earlier, the United Nations had called on Spain to end its colonial rule and negotiate the territory\u2019s independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since Spain\u2019s withdrawal, Morocco has taken control of most of the region. The country refers to the territory as its southern provinces and administers the majority of it, including the main cities. However, this claim is not universally recognised by the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opposing Morocco is the Polisario Front, a movement representing the indigenous Sahrawi people which seeks full independence. In 1976, the Polisario proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), which has been recognised by dozens of states but is not a member of the United Nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UN considers Western Sahara to be a non-self-governing territory. Meanwhile, the conflict between Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front has raged for almost fifty years, claiming an estimated 9,000 lives in the last sixteen years alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SADR does not exist but the land is Moroccan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Following in the footsteps of France, Germany, the United States and the European Union, Belgium has now formally declared its support for Morocco\u2019s autonomy plan…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3105,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,4,354,8],"tags":[367,41,368],"class_list":["post-3104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","category-international","category-morocco","category-politics","tag-belgium","tag-morocco","tag-sahara"],"yoast_head":"\nBelgium and Morocco strengthen ties with agreement on migrant returns and Western Sahara - The MENA News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"France, Germany, the United States and the European Union, Belgium has now formally declared its support for Morocco\u2019s autonomy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/themena.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/27\/belgium-and-morocco-strengthen-ties-with-agreement-on-migrant-returns-and-western-sahara\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Belgium and Morocco strengthen ties with agreement on migrant returns and Western Sahara - 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