فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Recent official data released by Spain’s Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration show that seasonal employment programs recruiting foreign workers from outside the European Union enabled the hiring of 25,767 workers in 2025, under a system based on contracting in countries of origin with beneficiaries returning once their work period ends.
According to figures published at the end of December, this type of recruitment—implemented within the framework of the Collective Management of Hiring at Origin system (Gecco)—recorded a 25% increase compared to 2024, when around 20,000 seasonal workers were employed. This growth reflects Spain’s increasing orientation toward strengthening what is known as circular migration.
The data indicate that these programs, launched in 2000, have seen an upward trend over the past three years, as they rely on the simultaneous granting of residence and work permits to workers who do not reside in Spain and are recruited exclusively from their countries of origin according to the needs of host sectors.
Moroccan workers featured prominently in this mechanism, accounting for 81% of all contracts signed in 2025. The figures also reveal that nine out of ten contracts were awarded to women, with an average age of around 43 years. Colombian nationals ranked second with 13%, followed by Honduras with 4%, while the agricultural sector remained by far the primary destination for these workers.
A total of 17 countries participated in the system during the current year, including Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, India, and Peru. Seasonal workers were distributed across 21 Spanish provinces, with Huelva topping the list by hosting 84% of all seasonal female workers, particularly in the strawberry-picking sector, which has historically relied on this form of employment.
In a related development, the Spanish government reaffirmed its commitment to promoting organized and temporary migration. On 16 December, an agreement was reached with Morocco and France to launch the “Wafira 2” program, aimed at supporting 3,000 Moroccan workers in seasonal employment in Spain and France. The program has since been expanded to include six countries: Morocco, Spain, France, Portugal, Mauritania, and Cape Verde.
The ministry also announced the renewal of its cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to develop labor mobility initiatives and strengthen the social integration of beneficiaries. In this context, the Secretary of State for Migration is preparing a new ministerial order related to the Gecco system, expected to define recruitment quotas for 2026, with approval anticipated in the coming days.
According to observers, these indicators reflect a growing European trend toward regulating labor migration and aligning it with labor market needs while maintaining its temporary nature—thereby curbing irregular migration and strengthening cooperation with countries of origin, foremost among them Morocco.
Source: Fes News Media
