In order to address the shortage of heavy goods vehicle drivers, Spain has been taking measures to fill this gap for some time. Currently, according to Spanish media such as La Voz de Galicia, Spain is looking to hire Moroccan truck drivers to fill 25,000 vacancies and overcome this shortage that is already causing huge economic losses to several Spanish companies.
This measure will have a reciprocal effect, as it will also allow Spanish truck drivers to work in Morocco.
Last year, Spain launched a truck driver training programme for Moroccans, as reported by Reuters news agency. Madrid’s aim with this measure was to address a shortage of heavy vehicle drivers, as well as a shortage of bus drivers.
“Spain will train and employ a group of Moroccan truck drivers as a means of channelling migration into the European transport sector affected by a severe labour shortage,” a source close to the Spanish government told the news agency.
Last March, Madrid again turned to Morocco to fill an urgent need for labour in the transport sector after Pedro Sánchez’s government announced it would recognise Moroccan permits. Truck owners’ associations in Spain had announced that they needed 26,000 Moroccan drivers, ABC reported.
The decision to recognise Moroccan permits was officially ratified during a visit by President Sánchez to Morocco, where he underlined the relevance of the bilateral partnership between the two countries. The move marked a significant step towards solving the problem of labour shortages in Spain’s transport sector, while also providing new employment opportunities for Moroccan workers.
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