Morocco, a major strategic partner for EU in migration management, EU Ambassador says
The 3rd Peer-to-Peer Conference of EUROMED Migration V program kicked off Wednesday in Rabat, under the theme “Multilateral migration partnerships for sustainable development in the Euro-Mediterranean region”.
Addressing the meeting, Ambassador of the European Union to the Kingdom Patricia Llombart Cussac stressed that Morocco is a major strategic partner of the EU in several areas, including migration management.
“When it comes to migration, multilateral partnerships and sustainable development, the choice of Morocco is natural and obvious,” said Llombart Cussac, underlining that the establishment of the Rabat-based African Migration Observatory, on the proposal of King Mohammed VI, designated by African Heads of State as the continent’s Leader on migration, is an illustration of this fact.
The EU diplomat, who highlighted Morocco’s extensive experience and its recognized expertise in migration management, welcomed the adoption by the Kingdom of the national strategy for immigration and asylum, which she described as a model to follow.
Morocco, she noted, is also a key player in global actions, as evidenced by the hosting of the Intergovernmental Conference for the adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in Marrakech in 2018.
The European ambassador also recalled, in this regard, the presidency of the Rabat Process that Morocco will ensure from next December.
The multiple initiatives undertaken by Morocco show that the migration problem is complex and transcends borders, hence the need to address it in a framework of multilateral cooperation, said Llombart Cussac.
Senior official of the Moroccan Foreign Ministry Fouad Yazourh underlined that “human exchanges remain a chance, an opportunity and a potential for the future of our respective societies”, emphasizing the positive contribution of migration on the economic level. “It is often young, educated and trained populations who respond to a demand for work not met by the local market”, he pointed out, adding that migrants also contribute to the cultural enrichment of host societies, by bringing new ideas and a desire to succeed, which contribute to the dynamism of the host countries.
“It is time to act in favor of safe, orderly, regular and beneficial migration for all, to reverse the trend, and to put an end to the negative perception wrongly prevailing in our region”, underlined the official.
In this sense, he called for joint action in favor of a common positive agenda which considers the migration issue “as a lever for development and not as an obstacle, as an opportunity and not as a danger”.
He also underlined Morocco’s commitment to this issue over the years, both nationally, regionally and internationally, demonstrating to be a credible partner willing to work in a spirit of responsibility and solidarity on migratory aspects with all of its partners.
The Kingdom’s migration strategies, he said, “are implemented in cooperation and coordination with neighboring African and European countries, in order to ensure that migration from and to Morocco takes place in the safest way, to reduce as much as possible the risks of exploitation, trafficking and abuse”.
