This article originally appeared on GatewayHispanic.com and was republished with permission.
Uncontrolled immigration to Spain has been a constant concern for the security and stability of the country. Over the past five years, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has granted pardons to approximately 30,000 criminals, including sex offenders and terrorists. This situation has generated a police alert in Spain, given that many of these ex-convicts use illegal routes to enter the country.
The recent pardons granted by the Moroccan monarch not only seek to “relieve prison overpopulation,” but also project an “image of openness toward freedom of expression and the press” according to his policies. However, among those who benefited are individuals convicted of serious crimes, including 16 terrorists. The concern among the Spanish authorities is evident, since many of the illegal immigrants from Morocco have criminal records in their country of origin.
The General Information Commissioner of Spain has highlighted the need to closely monitor these individuals, given the high risk of recidivism in criminal activities. “That a neighboring country, whose nationals use thousands of illegal air, sea and land routes to enter national territory, has 30,000 guys released from prison through pardon, is worth monitoring closely,” police sources admit.