Spanish Study Urges Madrid To Follow The Italian Model With Algeria

A study conducted by the Spanish Institute for Migration Analysis (IEAM) pushes for valuing the Algerian-Italian partnership across all levels, including migration. It considers this pattern to be optimal for Spain in order to address the problems it faces with the Moroccan regime, which has become accustomed to employing the issue of illegal migration as a pressure tool against Madrid to achieve political goals, especially in Western Sahara and the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.

The study says that Algeria differs from Morocco in managing the migration file, based on the fact that Algeria refuses to enter into general memoranda with the European Union regarding migration, but rather deals with the file through bilateral agreements, most notably the current cooperation with Italy, which is ahead of all other European Union countries, according to what was reported by the Spanish newspaper “El Independiente” in its issue published Tuesday, September 22.

The study indicates that the Italian authorities have developed a cooperation with Algeria that goes beyond just preventing boats carrying hordes of illegal migrants across the Mediterranean towards its northern shore, to include the security dimension, border control, and migration flow management. This is the consideration that explains why Algeria has become an important partner for Italy in the Mediterranean, according to the same source.

Among what the Spanish institute proposes in this regard is that combating illegal migration cannot rely solely on preventing the arrival of illegal migrants to European land, and offers an alternative stating that “legal migration pathways, job opportunities, training, and improving economic and security conditions in source countries should be provided.”

In this regard, the study pointed out that the basic idea of this approach is that Algeria is not just a transit country for migrants towards Spain and Europe, but has simultaneously become a receiving country, a transit country, and a security actor in migration management, which requires hastening the conclusion of bilateral agreements with it, similar to what happened with Italy, it also noted that warning of the risks of the wave (the journey of illegal migrants) is no longer sufficient as a prior deterrent tool.

The study confirms, based on “El Independiente”, that the geographical location of Algeria as a gateway to Africa and the largest in area on the  dark continent makes it an essential part of the European migration system, as the Algerian borders with Mali, Niger, and Libya make it in direct contact with regions experiencing pressures and mixed migration, therefore, what happens south of Algeria can be reflected in migration routes towards the Mediterranean.

From this standpoint, the study stresses that “Algeria is considered an unavoidable partner in managing Mediterranean migration, and the Italian model in dealing with Algeria is considered the most appropriate for the rest of the European countries, which helped the newspaper formulate a triple equation stating that migration, gas, and security make Algeria, from the Spanish point of view, a fundamental actor in North Africa, differing from the role played by the Moroccan regime in this regard.

“El Independiente” admits that Italy preceded Spain in developing its relations with Algeria, which made it benefit from these relations before other European countries in terms of energy (especially gas), however, the current situation allows Madrid to catch up, as long as bilateral relations have seen a noticeable improvement since the beginning of 2026, after years of tension mainly related to the change in the Spanish position on the Western Sahara issue.

The source spoke about the existence of a coordination mechanism between Italy, Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia since 2024, in the fields of security cooperation, combating terrorism, and human trafficking, and periodic meetings between the Algerian and Italian Ministers of Interior, which made Rome, according to the source, deal with Algeria not only as a gas supplier, but also as a security partner on the southern shore of the Mediterranean and in the Sahel region as one of the major sources of illegal migration.