Belgium and Morocco to exchange digital fingerprints

Belgium's prime minister Charles Michel has committed to signing an agreement with Morocco on the exchange of digital fingerprints. Michel travelled to Morocco with federal secretary of state for asylum and migration Theo Francken and federal home affairs minister Jan Jambon on Monday to meet with the Moroccan prime minister Abdel Ilah Benhiram and minister of the interior Mohamed Hassad.

Belgium's visit to Morocco's capital Rabat is a big step towards strengthening its cooperation with the country. Both countries agree on the importance of exchanging personal information such as digital fingerprints, reports Knack.

Every Moroccan citizen over the age of 18 is required to register their digital fingerprints, something that Belgium aims to use in the fight against illegal immigration, terrorism and radicalisation.

According to the Belgian authorities, some undocumented migrants in Belgium pose as Moroccans to avoid deportation, and some Moroccans claim that they are Syrian or Iraqi in order to remain in Belgium with a refugee status.

The two countries will sign the agreement in Brussels in April.