Speaking at the program's closing ceremony, Sekkouri welcomed the fruitful cooperation between Morocco and Spain within the framework of this program, highlighting the central role of the human element in professional mobility approaches.

"Wafira enables rural women workers to gain international experience, enhance their skills and generate income, while contributing to the development of their home communities," he said.

The Minister spoke of the ambition to launch a second phase of this project, as part of the national strategy for international professional mobility, focusing on candidate training, data management and an approach based on equitable partnerships between Morocco and its partners.

For her part, Spanish Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz Delgado, described the Wafira program as a flagship initiative for international cooperation in migration management, pointing out that this pilot project has enabled 209 Moroccan women to set up a business under self-entrepreneur status and to carry out income-generating activities, thereby strengthening their economic and social integration after returning to their country.

Saiz Delgado also announced the forthcoming launch of a second phase of the “Wafira” program, with the support of the European Union (EU), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development.

On the same occasion, the EU’s Ambassador to Morocco, Patricia Llombart Cussac, praised the joint efforts of Morocco, Spain and the EU to promote legal and orderly migration, calling "Wafira" a concrete example of mutually beneficial cooperation. 

She highlighted the program's role in empowering Moroccan women workers financially.

She also voiced EU's wish to extend such initiatives to other countries, recalling the achievements of Moroccan-European cooperation in the fields of vocational training and mobility adapted to the labor market needs.

The "Wafira" project, financed by the EU and implemented in partnership with Moroccan and Spanish institutions, has established itself as a benchmark in the field of circular migration. Since its launch, it has trained 231 women, supported the creation of 209 income-generating activities and laid the foundations for sustainable socio-economic integration for female migrant workers.