EU and Morocco expand security partnership amid migration tensions

On October 6, the EU and Morocco convened their second High-Level Security Dialogue in Brussels, with Cosmin Dobran and Ismail Chekkori leading the discussions. The agenda spanned counter-terrorism, violent-extremism prevention, cyber security, non-proliferation and disarmament, as well as broader peace and security concerns across the Maghreb, Sahel, Middle East and Ukraine. Both sides reaffirmed commitment to a rules-based international order and multilateralism, promising to deepen cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean region and within African partnerships.

The dialogue, which alternates between Rabat and Brussels, followed the EU-Morocco Association Council earlier in the year. Notably, migration and the recent Ceuta influx were absent from the published record, even as the European Parliament has accused Morocco of facilitating the breach. The EU continues to provide substantial funding to Morocco for migration management, while political leaders in several member states call for stricter border controls.