Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib signed a bilateral mobility partnership with her Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita in Rabat late on 1 August, creating accelerated visa channels for up to 12,000 Moroccan seasonal workers each year. The agreement, published in Belgium’s Moniteur Belge on 2 August, sets target processing times of 15 days for short-stay C-visas covering agriculture, hospitality and construction. In exchange, Morocco has agreed to expand its readmission cooperation for nationals found to be staying irregularly in Belgium. The deal mirrors similar pacts struck recently with Tunisia and Senegal under the EU’s Talent Partnerships framework but is the largest in the Benelux to date. The Flemish farmers’ union Boerenbond says the pact will help address chronic labour shortages in horticulture, while unions insist that wage parity and decent housing standards must be strictly enforced. Employers will be required to provide proof of compliant accommodation and register contracts with the regional employment service before visa issuance. Global companies operating project-based work in both countries may benefit indirectly. The agreement foresees a pilot programme allowing Belgian construction firms to second Moroccan specialists for up to nine months with simplified documentation. A joint committee will review quotas annually and may open pathways for skills training and eventual long-term permits.
