RABAT, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Morocco and Spain have vowed to improve protection for Moroccan seasonal female workers in Spanish farms after alleged sexual abuses against them.
This pledge was made during talks between Mohamed Yatim, Morocco's minister of Employment and Professional Integration, and Spanish Ambassador to Morocco Ricardo Diez-Hochleitner Rodriguez, according to a statement by the Moroccan ministry on Tuesday.
Many Moroccan women working in the Spanish city of Huelva said they have experienced sexual abuse, stirring outrage in the North African kingdom.
"Information gathered from the various sources and official parties shows that cases of harassment remain very isolated and that this type of abuse involves female agricultural workers of different nationalities," the statement said.
Investigations by the Spanish authorities revealed 12 cases of attempted harassment by 7 perpetrators, where two are facing legal proceedings, while the others are still under investigation.
Spain issues seasonal work permits for more than 10,000 Moroccan women annually to pick strawberries in Spanish farms.
