Confronting European Migration Policy: Dealing with Constraints and Finding Opportunities ‒ The Case of Morocco

The presence of sub-Saharan migrants in Morocco is relatively recent, not being officially recognized until 2000. In spite of the complexities of their routes and projects, these migrants are considered in transit while involved in negotiations with European countries. However, we argue that Morocco is not the mere agent of European migration policies but rather that the presence of these migrants on its territory, given its strategic location at the gates of Europe, has been used as a form of geographic rent. Various levels of negotiation ? both national and European ? have been used to obtain as many advantages as possible in exchange of active participation in the fight against illegal migration, mainly through re-admission agreements. The interpretation and implementation of these agreements have also created new opportunities for negotiations.