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Agadir, Morocco- Hijra wa Himaya, a program for the migrant children of Morocco, was launched on Thursday during the Government Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), in partnership with a UNICEF workshop.
The two-day conference was held in the Atlantic Palace Resort in Agadir, Morocco, June 21to 22.
Launched by the Ministry of Moroccan Residents Abroad and Migration Affairs in partnership with the EU in Morocco and UNICEF, Hijra wa Himaya is a new project to ensure that the migrant children of Morocco have better access to their rights.
In Morocco, migrant children represent about 10 percent of the actual migrant population, 35 percent of these being girls.
“Today we join UNICEF with Hijra wa Himaya to ensure that migrant children, regardless of their legal status, have equitable access to education, health care, social and judicial care and appropriate emergency accommodation,” said Claudia Wiedey, EU Ambassador for Morocco.
Hijra wa Himaya will operate on a budget of MAD 26.7 million. The EU has contributed approximately MAD 20 million. The program will provide services to 2,000 immigrant children in Morocco.
The workshop focused on the theme of “Children and Youth on the Move: Implementing Sustainable Solutions.” The overarching theme is part of a series of workshops under the GFMD which are held all over the world, including cities such as New York, Geneva, and Marrakech.
The workshop focused on children and young people who are affected directly and indirectly by migration in terms of protection gaps, social inclusion, and access to services and labor markets all over the world. The participants ranged from international organizations such as IFCR, UNDESA, UNHCR, IOM, and many others, to youth delegates and young activists.
