“I’ve seen real progress over the past few months, particularly in the areas of readmissions and the fight against illegal migration,” Retailleau said during a press briefing in Rabat following talks with his Moroccan counterpart, Abdelouafi Laftit.

He noted that the average processing time for migration-related procedures had dropped from 26 to 18 days, while the number of forced returns had risen and the rate of issued consular passes had doubled. Retailleau described these developments as clear indicators of strengthened bilateral collaboration.

On legal migration, the minister highlighted that Moroccan nationals now represent the largest foreign student population in France, reaffirming France’s commitment to supporting educational and professional mobility as part of broader cooperation.

Retailleau also pointed to opportunities for civil security collaboration, particularly in the context of upcoming sporting events hosted by Morocco. “We’re ready to share lessons learned from organizing the Olympic Games, and to support Morocco’s preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup,” he said.

“The challenges ahead are considerable, but our partnership is now strong enough to meet them effectively,” he underlined.