The meeting discussed the specific challenges of immigration between the most affected countries of origin, transit and destination, as well as experiences in managing the migratory crisis, with the main theme being the migratory routes of the Western Mediterranean and the Atlantic.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman of the PA-UfM Cultural Commission Mohammed Zidouh emphasized that Morocco, a country at a crossroads, has been able to stand as a key player in the management of migratory flows, transforming these challenges into opportunities by transitioning from a country of transit to a true host country.
Today, Morocco welcomes more than 80,000 migrants, the vast majority of whom are legal immigrants, he said, noting that two major regularization campaigns, in 2014 and 2017, have regularized almost 50,000 people.
For him, “these figures reflect the reality that Morocco is no longer simply a country of transit, but a host country, a haven where thousands of lives can be rebuilt”.
With regard to the broad outlines of the Kingdom’s migration policy, Zidouh stressed that the “Migration and Development” program was designed to enhance migrants’ skills and promote their integration into the labor market, with particular emphasis on entrepreneurship and access to finance.
For her part, Chairperson of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Islamic Affairs, Migration and Moroccan Expatriates Salma Benaziz stressed that the Mediterranean, a crossroads of civilizations and an area of exchange for millennia, is today at the heart of “major migratory challenges”.
Highlighting the African Agenda for Migration, initiated by His Majesty King Mohammed VI as Leader of the African Union on the issue of migration, the Moroccan MP highlighted Morocco’s intensified cooperation with more than 20 African countries in programs aimed at reducing poverty, creating jobs and bolstering local capacities.
In turn, President of the Spanish Congress of Deputies Francina Armengol spoke of the need to approach the management of migratory crises on the basis of a constructive method to the realities of migration, and to focus on a series of joint actions of solidarity.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Abdelmajid Fassi Fihri, Diplomatic Advisor to the House of Representatives Mounir El Jaffali and Moroccan Consul General in Las Palmas Fatiha El Kamouri.
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