Morocco’s Ambassador to the Holy See and the Independent Military Order of Malta, Raja Naji El-Makkawi, highlighted the Moroccan approach to immigration policy, under the wise leadership of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI.
Naji El-Makkawi, who spoke during a meeting on this subject, underlined that “Morocco enjoys a good position on the international scene in the field of immigration policy, thanks to its initiatives and commitments , within the framework of the high directives of His Majesty. the king. »
In this regard, the diplomatic official indicated that the Kingdom is a “reliable partner” in the field of cooperation in the management of migratory flows and the fight against illegal immigration and human trafficking, and presents itself as a “very active” player in operations and initiatives undertaken in this area. on these issues at the bilateral, regional, continental and international levels, under the leadership of His Majesty the King, Morocco adopted a “comprehensive, unified, humanitarian and pioneering” national strategy on migration and asylum, which included various aspects, including respect for the human person. rights and respect for international law.
She continued that the implementation of the National Strategy for Migration and Asylum allowed the launch of two exceptional operations for the integration of immigrants residing illegally in Morocco, during which the situation of around 60,000 immigrants was addressed. , mostly from sub-Saharan African countries. , it was organized.
The diplomat added that Morocco was able to resolve the situation of more than 2,300 refugees over the past year, stressing that the Kingdom was one of the first countries to ratify the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to refugees, and the second in the world to ratify the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to refugees. convention relating to the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families.
This Moroccan approach, which also aims to benefit from the benefits of migration as a catalyst for development, while ensuring the necessary protection for migrants living in fragile situations, includes a set of sectoral action programs linked in particular to education, training, health, housing. Social protection, employment, the fight against human trafficking and international cooperation, in addition to governance, were mentioned by Raja Naji Makkawi.
She added that at the European level, multidimensional cooperation with European countries is based on a global approach based on mutual respect, solidarity and the search for sustainable solutions, noting that at the Euro-African and Euro-Mediterranean levels, the Morocco actively contributes to facilitating the dynamic of dialogue on the issue of migration as part of the Rabat process on Migration and Development launched in 2006.
Raja Naji Makkawi also wanted to emphasize that “the pressures of illegal immigration have been exacerbated by the blatant exploitation of protection and reception policies by criminal migrant smuggling networks, particularly among young people, who have turned their noble goals to their own advantage.
The ambassador concluded that Morocco constantly underlines the importance of “rational and humane” governance of migration issues, at the regional and multilateral levels, in accordance with the objectives of the Marrakech Charter.
This meeting was also attended by Cardinal João Braz de Aviz and the Mexican Ambassador to the Holy See, Alberto Medardo Barranco Chavarria.
