Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, highlighted, on July 23 in Rome, the fundamentals of the Royal Vision on the issue of migration, stressing that Morocco has been at the forefront of all debates on migration.
Intervening at the International Conference on Development and Migration, which was chaired by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Bourita stated that Morocco has been at the forefront of all debates concerning migration.
“His Majesty King Mohammed VI is the African Union’s (AU) leader in terms of migration,” stated Bourita, noting that His Majesty the King’s Vision on migration is outlined in the African Agenda for Migration and reflected in the establishment of the African Migration Observatory.
Bourita pointed out that Morocco, as the ethical custodian of the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (Marrakech Pact), places humanity at the heart of the migration equation, noting that the Kingdom’s vision believes that “a humane approach is compatible with rational governance.”
The Moroccan minister added that the Kingdom’s vision is also focused on Africa, emphasizing that this vision rejects the discrepancy between the perception of migration and its impact.
In this regard, Bourita underlined that African migration takes place first and foremost in Africa, stressing that “migration is neither an unbearable burden nor absolute wealth, but can be a catalyst for development.”
Bourita also stressed the importance of “not succumbing to the passions and temptations of simplistic, stereotyped and superficial discourse.”
In a similar context, the Moroccan minister stated that “Morocco considers the all-security approach a misjudgment, as migration cannot be regulated without support to ensure legal channels for human mobility and a persistent fight against human and migrant trafficking networks, without confusing the criminals with the victims.”
The foreign minister also expressed Morocco’s commitment to contributing to the Rome process, calling for an examination of the causes of the ineffectiveness of existing partnerships before launching a new initiative.
In this regard, Bourita stressed that past partnerships were not sufficiently applied, emphasizing the importance of “reaching a clear agreement on the status of multilateral commitments, particularly the commitments relating to the Marrakech Pact, which was adopted within the framework of the United Nations (UN).”
“We have to resist the temptation of putting a disproportionate burden of responsibility on Africa, given that 80% of migratory flows take place in the continent itself,” stressed the Moroccan official, warning against outsourcing migration management and borders.
The Moroccan official emphasized that transit countries should not be singled out, stressing that “placing this burden on such countries would go against the grain of shared responsibility.” He also underlined that “shared responsibility also consists of balanced partnerships, which are founded on equality, because Africa is not in need of aid, but partners.”
“We are also disappointed that everyone is in a hurry to find solutions to irregular migration, but no one is thinking of strengthening regular migration,” expressed the foreign minister, noting that there are “concepts whose meaning and practical methods of implementation seem inadequate and counterproductive in relation to the cooperative nature that this process aims to foster.”
The Moroccan official stressed that Morocco is ready to contribute to this process, per its national legislation and international and regional commitments, provided that the Rome Process can complement other existing regional processes and bring added value tailored to the needs and specificities of each country, noting that the Rome Process can be part of the overall framework of existing reference in terms of migration, particularly the Marrakech Pact.
Bourita also pointed out that the link between international migration and development should be reconsidered in terms of potential instead of risk and convey a message of solidarity, shared responsibility, and humanity.
The International Conference on Development and Migration, organized at the initiative of the Italian government under the theme “Shared Commitments and Solutions for the Mediterranean and Africa,” brought together leaders from countries bordering the southern shore of the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the Gulf, as well as leading European Union (EU) member states and several countries from Africa, along with the heads of European institutions and international financial institutions.
The Italian Council of Ministers reported that the conference was an opportunity to launch an international roadmap for the implementation of concrete measures for growth and development throughout the Mediterranean and Africa, discuss the root causes of irregular migratory flows to overcome the criminal activities of human traffickers and reach solutions to protect the environment and meet the challenges of energy diversification and climate change.