Authorities strike deal to secure pre-pandemic agricultural labour figures from Morocco

The Spanish government announced a deal with Moroccan authorities to secure agricultural workers on September 26. The deal will increase the number of Moroccan agricultural workers in Spain to almost 16,000.

The Spanish Ministry for Migration held talks with the Moroccan Ministry for Labour and Migration in Tangier, with Spanish authorities securing 5000 more workers than expected. Though the figure remains below the numbers requested by agricultural employers, it represents a near-return to pre-pandemic figures in the migrant employment sector.

The majority of the workers will be employed by strawberry-growing companies in Huelva province during the upcoming 2022/23 season. Around 1000 migrant workers will also be employed in agriculture in Albacete and Segovia.

Head of the Spanish Ministry for Migration, Santiago Yerga said the deal was a success, highlighting the importance of cooperation between Spain and Morocco. He said “investing in mutually beneficial migration deals helps to guarantee a future for the migrants and to stop illegal immigration routes”.

Moroccan authorities will now begin a preliminary selection process to find eligible candidates for the work. The positions are typically filled by young women.