Morocco’s CNDH calls for increased commitment to protecting migrants’ rights in Africa
The President of Morocco’s National Council for Human Rights (CNDH), Amina Bouayach, called for greater commitment to protecting migrants’ rights in Africa.
Speaking in Rabat Friday at the opening of a working group meeting on migration within the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI), Bouayach highlighted the urgency of migration situation on the African continent, urging a “top-priority” treatment, “given the alarming migration figures and challenges.”
According to the latest data, approximately 21 million Africans currently live in another African country, noted Bouayach, who chairs the NANHRI working group on migration.
Within this context, the CNDH head explained that North Africa stands as a key crossroads, and that over the years, the region has become a major departure point for thousands of migrants in sea journeys.
This journey certainly implies danger. The Mediterranean migration routes, particularly those in the western and central regions, are among the most hazardous in the world, she added, noting that between 2014 and 2022, over 20,000 lives were lost or went missing in these waters.
The causes of these movements are multiple and deeply interconnected, she continued, noting that “beyond armed conflicts and political instabilities in some areas of the continent, the devastating effects of climate change, are also a driving force.”
In East Africa for example, the extreme 2023 drought affected more than 27 million people, further exacerbating an already vulnerable situation, due to conflicts and regional instability, she stressed.
In this regard, the CNDH president emphasized the crucial role of national human rights institutions in documenting and denouncing violations, monitoring and reporting on the migration situation, influencing laws and policies, and engaging in dialogue with stakeholders at both national and international levels.
She also highlighted some actions undertaken by the working group since its meeting on October 30, 2023, during which ways for cooperation were explored to develop a joint NHRI pledge initiative for the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) in December 2023.
As chair of the working group, the CNDH also received a draft collaboration roadmap from the United Nations Committee on Migrant Workers.
Also, in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the CNDH conducted a session for African NHRIs to explain the methodology for drafting and preparing such pledges, she added.
Through this initiative, the CNDH brought together all relevant stakeholders to share the challenges faced, exchange best practices, and make recommendations to support efforts, aimed at achieving Objective 8 of the Marrakech Compact, which is to save lives and establish coordinated international efforts for the management of missing migrants.