The work of an international symposium on “Irregular Migration: security and humanitarian dimensions” opened Wednesday in Rabat, with the participation of several Arab countries and representatives of national and international organizations.
Organized by Naif Arab University for Security Sciences in collaboration with the University Hassan I Settat, this event, which will continue until Friday, aims to highlight the security and humanitarian dimensions of migration , communicate about the efforts made to contain this phenomenon in Arab countries and learning from Arab and international experiences as well as the expertise of international organizations, with the development of recommendations for the resolution of problems related to the migration issue.
The various speakers at the opening of the conference emphasized that migration is not a new concept and that it should be treated not only in its security dimensions but also in its humanitarian and human rights facets, highlighting the Moroccan experience in this area.
The Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Executive Training, Lahcen Daoudi said that migration is a very old phenomenon, motivated by a number of economic, security, humanitarian factors, but also for reasons related to climate change.
Migration imposes major challenges for sending and host countries calling for global and country-specific approaches to make migration an added value for the development and progress for both sides.
Along these lines, the Minister pointed out that the developed countries, particularly European, adopt a selective approach in the migration field, causing a brain drain adversely affecting the development in the country.
The minister in charge of Moroccans living abroad and Migration Affairs Anis Birou also noted that migration policies differ from one country to another depending on the culture and needs of each society. “Policies that may have dangerous repercussions,” he said.
Thus the role of universities and academic spaces is most important in the qualification of the society and the development of comprehensive and integrated migration policies that can turn migration into a pillar of development, he supported.
Morocco, he continued, has a dual perspective on the issue of migration, adopting a policy based on a humanitarian approach and human rights, but also ensuring the security and the fight against crime and terrorism.
For its part, the Departmental Delegate for Human Rights, Mahjoub El Haiba, focused on the new migration policy of the Kingdom, which became a host country that tends to consolidate the management of migration flows, according to a conciliatory approach between the rights of immigrants and the protection of the national territory.
This policy, he noted, derives from the importance attached to this issue as a priority, a major challenge and a fundamental component in the development of social policies.
The representative of the Naif University, Ben Ali Fayez Al Jahli, believes that the symposium is a new step for an in-depth study of migration in the Arab countries.
He also pointed out that Nayef University since its establishment in 2004 as part of the Arab League, works for the creation of more appropriate migration policies to fight against all phenomena related to migration such as trafficking in human beings and terrorism .
Other stakeholders, including the president of the Institute of African Studies (University Mohammed V) and the International Organization representative for Migration (IOM) have unanimously welcomed the reforms undertaken by Morocco in the field of migration, particularly on the constitutional, institutional and legislative plans.
They also called for comprehensive and integrated policies to overcome all the shortcomings peppering the migration management in Africa and the Arab world.
Organized in collaboration with the IOM, the symposium, which will continue until Friday, will discuss several topics related in particular to the safe, legal and humanitarian dimensions of irregular migration, the role of migration in the outbreak of terrorism, crime and human trafficking, and the efforts of Arab countries to contain the phenomenon.
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