RABAT, 21 September 2024 – Wrapping up a two-day visit to Morocco, a delegation of nine members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, led by its Chair, Dr. Daniela De Ridder (Germany), commended the country for its efforts to enact asylum and migration reform. At the same time, there is a need to see the reforms through in particular by adopting a comprehensive legislative framework, the delegation said.
The visit, hosted by the House of Representatives of the Moroccan parliament, marked the first time that the committee traveled to an OSCE Partner for Co-operation to gain first-hand insight into its approach to managing migration flows, refugee protection and the integration of migrants and refugees.
Meeting with a wide range of stakeholders, the delegation learned about Morocco’s challenges as a country of emigration, transit and destination, as well as its strategic position at the heart of migration flows between Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The official interlocutors underlined Morocco’s efforts to prevent irregular migration towards Europe and countering trafficking in human beings and migrant smuggling. The critical importance of international co-operation and joint efforts to tackle the root causes of migration including conflict, climate change and economic disparities were also emphasized.
“Morocco is leading the way as the only country in the MENA region which has embarked upon significant asylum and migration reform since the adoption of the National Strategy on Immigration and Asylum in 2013,” De Ridder said. “We can draw inspiration from Morocco’s approach to international mobility as an opportunity to be built upon rather than a threat. It has also made significant efforts to regularize the situation of thousands of migrants.”
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De Ridder noted however that currently only about ten per cent of asylum seekers identified by the UNHCR receive official refugee status. She stressed the need to implement a legal framework to ensure a more effective asylum system and more widespread access to health care, employment and education.
The delegation also emphasized the need to enhance protection for vulnerable migrants notably unaccompanied minors, victims of trafficking in human beings and gender based violence as well as LGBTI+ refugees.
Examples of best practice in the area of access to employment were also shared, such as initiatives to address ‘brain drain’ and boost circular migration through a national strategy for professional international mobility and support for entrepreneurship.
Participants also learned about bilateral mechanisms in place to promote sustainable returns as well as the need to expand reintegration support for Moroccan returnees.
In Rabat on Thursday the delegation met with key stakeholders including Mohamed Sibari, First Vice-President of the House of Representatives, Mohamed Hanin, First Vice-President of the House of Councillors, Khalid Zerouali, Director of Migration and Border Surveillance at the Ministry of the Interior, Younes Sekkouri, Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Enterprises, Employment and Competences, Amina Bouayach, President of the National Council on Human Rights, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates.
The delegation also met with representatives of the African Migration Observatory and the Orient-Occident Foundation and was also briefed online in advance of the visit by representatives of UNHCR, UNICEF and IOM.
On Friday, the delegation visited Tangier MED port authority, a hub for global trade and investment that has played a crucial role in providing local opportunities with the creation of 110,000 jobs since its establishment.
In addition to Chair De Ridder, the delegation consisted of Committee Vice-Chairs Kemal Çelik (Türkiye) and Farah Karimi (The Netherlands), as well as members Alessandro Alfieri (Italy), Canan Bayram (Germany), Valérie Boyer (France), Johan Büser (Sweden), Lucie Potůčková (Czechia), and Artemi Vicent Rallo Lombarte (Spain).
This week’s mission follows up on visits of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration earlier this year to Türkiye (Ankara, Adana, Gaziantep) and Italy (Rome, Lampedusa) focusing on addressing irregular migration in the Mediterranean and enhancing the protection of migrants and refugees with a focus on vulnerable categories.
Photos of this week’s visit to Morocco are available for public use on Flickr.
For more information on the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, please click here.