5th Euro-African Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development Opens in Marrakech
Spanish Interior Minister Lauds Fruitful Cooperation with Morocco in the Fight against Illegal Immigration
Spanish Interior Minister, Juan Ignacio Zoido, commended on Wednesday the fruitful cooperation between his country and Morocco in the fight against illegal immigration.
"I thanked my Moroccan counterpart for the efforts made by Morocco and for all the work we are doing together to prevent the loss of life in the Mediterranean," he told reporters following talks with Morocco's Interior Minister, Abdelouafi Laftit, on the sidelines of the 5th Euro-African Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development held in Marrakech.
"We are aware of this effort, we have mentioned it and we are taking measures to reinforce our mechanisms to fight against illegal immigration and particularly to save human lives and prevent the loss of life in the Western Mediterranean," he added.
Spain is one of the countries that participated in the setting up of the Rabat Process, he recalled, while underlining the importance of respecting the principles of solidarity, shared responsibility and human rights in migration issues.
"We are aware that the migratory pressure on Morocco is higher than before, due to the increasing number of migrants from Central Africa and the Sahel," he pointed out.
MAP 03 May 2018
Marrakech: FM Holds Talks with African, European, UN Officials on Migration Issue
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Nasser Bourita held, Wednesday in Marrakech, talks with several African, European and UN officials on migration issue, on the sidelines of the fifth Conference of Euro-African Dialogue on Migration and Development.
Bourita met with UN Special Representative for International Migration Louise Arbour, Burkina Faso's minister of African Integration Paul Robert Tiendrebeogo, and Hungarian minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijarto.
Louise Arbour told the press that her talks with the Moroccan minister focused on preparations for the upcoming inter-governmental Conference for the adoption of the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration, scheduled for next December in Morocco.
In a similar statement, Burkina Faso’s minister highlighted the excellent relations between Morocco and his country, praising HM King Mohammed VI’s leadership and commitment to migration issues.
02 May 2018
Euro-African Partnership on Migration: "There is no alternative to dialogue", Says FM
"There is no alternative to dialogue" for the Euro-African partnership on migration and development, Morocco’s minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nasser Bourita, said Wednesday in Marrakech.
Dialogue is the only way to support the new mobility standards, making the migrant a central player in the Euro-African space, Bourita said at the opening of the 5th Euro-African Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development.
The renewed partnership that Morocco calls for apprehends addresses as an element of complementarity, which opens perspectives for the two continents, he pointed out, noting that migration is not inevitable, but a global issue, a social and structural fact.
"Migrations are here to stay. They will continue to increase, at worst, irregularly, at best, in a safe, orderly and regular manner,” the minister pointed out.
Indeed, the Euro-African dialogue on migration must be the subject of a renewed partnership which allows Europeans and Africans to participate, on an equal footing, in the joint definition of the terms of cooperation, he added, noting that the partnership must be based on intra-continental and inter-continental solidarity.
Bourita shed light on Morocco’s a national migration and asylum strategy, which promotes the sustainable integration of migrants, adding that this policy has enabled the organization of two regularization operations, the last of which was marked by the submission of 28,400 applications, of which 95% were made by African nationals.
The minister said that HM King Mohammed VI, as the African Union Leader on the issue of migration, proposed at the 30th AU Summit an African Agenda on Migration, which represents the culmination of an approach that considers migration as a lever for co-development.
The Agenda recommends the setting up of an African Migration Observatory, in order to develop observation and the exchange of information between African countries and promote controlled management of migration flows, Bourita added.
The 5th Euro-African Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development kicked off Wednesday in Marrakech, with the participation of ministers from more than 50 countries.
The Euro-African Dialogue on Migration and Development (Rabat Process) is aimed at tackling questions arising from migration issues.
The Rabat Process provides a framework for consultation and coordination; contributes to meeting the challenges posed by migration; and encourages opportunities for exchange and development.
MAP 02 May 2018
5th Euro-African Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development Opens in Marrakech
The 5th Euro-African Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development kicked off Wednesday in Marrakech, with the participation of ministers from more than 50 countries.
The event's program includes a session on the negotiations held each month in New York to adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
The Conference will be marked by the adoption of the Marrakech Declaration and the Marrakech Action Plan.
The Euro-African Dialogue on Migration and Development (Rabat Process) brings together European and African countries from North, West and Central Africa, as well as the European Commission (EC) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with a view to tackling questions arising from migration issues.
The Rabat Process provides a framework for consultation and coordination; contributes to meeting the challenges posed by migration; and encourages opportunities for exchange and development.
MAP 02 May 2018
Time Has Come for Africa to Deal with Migration Issue in Spirit of Full Solidarity (Minister)
The time has come for Africa to handle migration in a spirit of full solidarity, said, Tuesday in Marrakech, secretary of State to the minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mounia Bouce.
"This is the way to improve the fate of African migrants on African soil and to give credibility to our discourse vis-à-vis our European and international partners," she said at the opening of the High Level Officials Meeting preceding the 5th Euro-African Ministerial Conference on Migration and Sustainable Development, to be held Wednesday in Marrakech.
In this regard, Boucetta called on European partners to do more to support African countries in their efforts to handle migration.
"No country can cope with migration alone," she said, stressing the need for a comprehensive approach to maximize the benefits of migration.
She also underlined the importance of an African migration agenda at a time when statistics reveal that 4 out of 5 migrants remain on the continent.
In this context, Boucetta recalled that HM King Mohammed VI had presented during the 30th Summit of the African Union a document including the outlines of an African Agenda for Migration designed according to an inclusive and participatory approach.
She added that HM the King had notably proposed the creation of an African Union Special Envoy for Migration position to coordinate the Union's policies in this area and an African Migration Observatory.
Its mission will be to develop observation and information exchange between African countries in order to promote a controlled management of migratory flows, she said, noting that Morocco proposes to host this Observatory.
"As a country of origin, transit and destination, the Kingdom of Morocco attaches equal importance to all the pillars of our dialogue while prioritizing the examination of the root causes of migration flows and their multiple connections with other crucial themes on the multilateral agenda, such as the environment, health and education," she pointed out.
MAP 01 May 2018