The Spanish government is expected to approve a €30 million outlay for the Kingdom of Morocco to help it manage its borders and reduce the number of irregular migrants entering Europe, El Pais reports. This new fund is to be added to the €140 million granted to the North African country by the European Union to curb migration flows. The sum will have to be approved first by the Spanish Cabinet on Friday, the Spanish daily indicated, adding that the €30 million outlay is part of the Budget Contingency Fund, a fund for emergencies or unexpected outflows. Quoted by El Pais, a document that justifies the additional budgetary expense reveals that the money will be used to cover «the costs incurred by the Moroccan authorities in their cooperation with Spain and the entire EU on border management and the fight against irregular immigration headed for the Spanish coast». This grant allocated to Rabat comes after it was announced earlier in July that the «Spanish Cabinet also approved a €26 million public tender to purchase equipment and donate it to Morocco». This includes «750 vehicles, 15 drones, dozens of scanners, radars and other technical equipment for border control», El Paid wrote, stressing that this grant is part of an agreement negotiated with the European Union and which is being managed by Madrid. Spain has not granted €26 million to Morocco to fight against irregular migration This agreement «allows the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP)», a public sector foundation under the Spanish State which works on managing international cooperation projects, to «supply the Moroccan Interior Ministry with vehicles worth €26 million». In a press release justifying the budgetary allocation, the Spanish government explained that it «is tasked with managing the project» which aims at «supporting efforts made by Morocco under the auspices of the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa and its fight against the root causes of irregular migration in Africa».
