The new migration policy of Morocco and its active cooperation with the European Union, including France and Spain, in terms of the fight against illegal migration, are the main areas addressed by the Ambassador of Morocco in Austria Ali El Mhamedi, at a recent meeting held at the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe).
In his speech last Friday before his counterparts representing 57 OSCE member states and six partner States, Mr. El Mhamedi, also representing the Kingdom in Slovenia and Slovakia has immediately highlighted the efforts of the Kingdom to curb migration and its bold humane policy in the handling of cases of sub-Saharan migrants and asylum seekers.
Launched on January 1, 2014 in response to the High Royal Orientations, this new policy has manage to regularize thousands of undocumented migrants living on Moroccan territory, he said, adding that ” with this new approach, Morocco has embarked on a historic turning point in being among the first developing country to have organized a regularization campaign of this magnitude. ”
He further stated that ‘The Royal vision meets five requirements: The respect of migrants’ human rights, strengthening the fight against illegal immigration, the promotion of legal migration, the guarantee of the rights of refugees and asylum’ seekers, and the special regularization of illegal migrants’.
While emphasizing the contribution of international cooperation programs to strengthening the synergies between migration and development as well as the implementation of global and regional governance of migration, the Moroccan diplomat noted that this awareness of the intangible capital represented by migrants is reflected in Morocco by greater integration of migration in public policy development at national, regional and local levels.
Public policies that affect, in addition to the recent and ongoing regularization of irregular migrants, the situation of Moroccans living abroad (more than 3 million and a half), foreigners in Morocco whose number is estimated at 100,000, mostly European and North African expatriates and the fight against illegal migration. A very important aspect in the field of international cooperation, especially with France and Spain.
A strategy that focuses on five areas starting with the legal component, with the adoption of a new law governing the entry and residence of foreigners, the institutional component with the creation in 2014 of the Directorate of Migration and the Border Surveillance and Migration Observatory as well as prevention and protection for victims of illegal immigration, often encouraged in their misadventure by mafia networks because of their precarious status.
Cooperation remains very close between Morocco and the European Union to reduce the human cost of illegal immigration and maximize the benefit of legal immigration.
He, in this regard, said that Morocco is one of eight target countries of the Joint Initiative for Migration and Development supported by an international program implemented by UNDP in partnership with the International Organization for Migration, Switzerland and the European Union. The countries in addition to Morocco are Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Nepal, the Philippines, Senegal and Tunisia.
2 years long projects, were well launched last April in Morocco as part of this program.They focus on the contribution of migrants to local development and involve both local authorities and Moroccan migrants living abroad.
