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Rabat – “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.
He added, at the opening of the 5th Euro-African Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development, dialogue is the only way to support the new mobility standards, making the migrant a central player in the Euro-African space.
The renewed partnership that Morocco is advocating call for an element of complementarity, which would open opportunities for the two continents, he pointed out, noting that migration is not inevitable, but a global issue and a social and structural reality.
“Migration is here to stay. It will continue to increase irregularly, at worst, and, 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 national migration and asylum strategy, which promotes the sustainable integration of migrants.
“This policy has enabled two regularization operations, the last of which was marked by the submission of 28,400 applications, of which 95% were made by African nationals,” he said.
The minister added that King Mohammed VI, the African Union Leader on the issue of migration, proposed at the 30th AU Summit an African Agenda on Migration. The summit would represent the culmination of an approach that considers migration 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 Fifth 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.
