Marruecos es considerado modelo de gestión de migración humanitaria

Laura Palatini said in an interview with Morocco's state news agency that the Alawi kingdom has taken initiatives to provide migrants with decent social services and training opportunities for better socio-economic integration. "Morocco is one of the few countries that stands as a model for managing immigration problems and the civilised treatment of foreigners, while offering a dignified life," remarked the head of mission of the International Organisation for Migration.

These declarations come with Morocco's renewal of its commitment to ensure the success of the United Nations Pact for Migration, something which Palatini stressed in the importance of complying with international conventions and putting an end to all those who try to exploit human beings through human trafficking. The IOM head of mission stated that Morocco has always dealt with immigration issues in accordance with these legal, humanitarian and social approaches, and has not used repressive means towards migrants.

On the other hand, Moroccan migration policies since the pandemic began, according to Palatini, have been marked by protective measures against COVID-19. "Morocco has not excluded migrants from COVID-19 vaccines and has allowed migrants to access health and administrative services, while providing their children with the necessary education and training, without discrimination or exclusion," she added.

Morocco was the first country in the MENA region to launch a National Strategy on Immigration and Asylum (NSIA) in 2013, which sets out the policies and mechanisms necessary to meet the needs of refugees and asylum seekers on Moroccan territory.

The programme responds primarily to managing migratory flows while respecting human rights. It aims to strengthen border management to limit the flow of irregular migrants and combat human trafficking. According to the official programme, it also relates to controlling the number of irregular migrants present in the Kingdom's territory.

This is why Laura Palatini's statements are not the first in this regard, as since the National Immigration and Asylum Strategy was approved, there have been many good criticisms of Morocco's policy. In 2016, a United Nations diplomat on Human Rights and International Solidarity, Virginia Dandan, congratulated Morocco on its new policy. In 2017, the IOM director general at the time, Lacy Swing, praised Morocco's 'humanist and exemplary regional and continental' immigration and asylum policy. For his part, the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Jean Paul Cavaliéri, said in 2018 that Morocco's migration strategy allowed refugees to "regain their dignity and contribute to wealth creation".