In his speech during the inaugural session, Mr. Sekkouri stressed that the Kingdom of Morocco, aware of the importance of migration issues in their legal and human dimensions, has launched a new migration and asylum policy since 2013.
And to add that this policy, initiated in accordance with the High Royal Guidelines and in application of Morocco’s international commitments, is based on a human and responsible approach, as well as on cooperation and renewed partnerships with all national and international stakeholders. .
He specified that, in this context, administrative measures have been taken to regularize the situation of migrants and asylum seekers, while modernizing the legal and institutional framework relating to migration, asylum and the fight against human trafficking, noting that these measures take into account international human rights conventions and best practices in this area.
In 2014, the government also adopted a national strategy on migration and asylum aimed at the integration of migrants and their families in several areas such as training, education, employment, health, housing and culture, said Mr. Sekkouri, explaining that this strategy is based on a participatory approach with the various stakeholders.
In this context, the minister recalled the vision expressed by His Majesty King Mohammed VI concerning the African Agenda on migration during the 30th summit of heads of state and government of the African Union, through which the Sovereign calls for create an environment favorable to social and economic mobility, as well as promoting fair employment of migrant workers to guarantee decent work.
Furthermore, Mr. Sekkouri discussed Morocco’s strategy for international professional mobility by 2035. This strategy, he continued, aims to provide Morocco with a competitive workforce in terms of international, by setting up a vertically integrated training and mediation system, characterized by its flexibility, proactivity, capacity for adaptation and compliance with international standards.
He then specified that this strategy targets five main objectives, namely governance and partnership, the information system, social protection and fundamental rights at work, employment and mediation at national and international level, training and anticipation of skills needs, as well as monitoring and foresight.
On another note, Mr. Sekkouri explained that the migratory phenomenon, whether regular or irregular, poses numerous challenges and management questions. According to him, it affects not only countries of origin or destination, but also countries of transit, which often become countries of residence for migrants in transit. He thus underlined the need for an integrated vision placing migration at the heart of development challenges.
The minister also insisted on the importance of understanding migratory flows between Africa and the Gulf countries, highlighting the need to regulate these flows according to their characteristics and the profiles of migrants. To do this, he noted the need to create a database to access information on employment opportunities in destination countries, as well as on institutional recruitment channels.
In addition, Mr. Sekkouri called for financial support to regular migrants for their investment projects in their countries of origin, to ratify international agreements to protect the rights of migrant workers, to strengthen the commitment of social partners and civil society in national migration policies, and to improve institutional capacities to facilitate employment.
The “Doha Dialogue” is part of the agreement between Qatar and the African Union, with the aim of developing a consultative mechanism between African countries and Gulf countries, to implement best practices capable of strengthening regional cooperation efforts and partnerships aimed at improving the recruitment of labor from African countries and promoting the principle of fair mobility between regions.
The meeting, which began on Tuesday at the expert level, saw the participation of 33 countries, including GCC countries, Jordan, Lebanon, and 25 African countries, including Morocco, as well as representatives of the Organization International Labor Organization for the Arab region and the International Organization for Migration for the Middle East and North Africa region.