Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives Mohammed Ouzzine Highlights Rational and Participatory Approach of Kingdom of Morocco in Dealing with Migration

A delegation of the House of Representatives, headed by Deputy Speaker of the House Mohammed Ouzzine, took part on Thursday, February 4^th, 2021, in an online meeting organized by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), on “Dialogue of Arab Parliaments on the Regional Review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration in the Arab Region.”

In his address on this occasion, Mr. Mohamed Ouzzine highlighted the commitment of the Kingdom of Morocco to the rational and participatory management of the phenomenon of migration. The Moroccan experience at the African level was marked by the presentation by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, who was chosen by the leaders of African countries in 2017 as the leader of the African Union on the issue of migration, of the "African Agenda on Migration" at the last African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, which was developed using an inclusive and participatory approach. This document resulted from continuous consultations between many countries and includes ideas and proposals from official institutions, civil society associations, and researchers.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives recalled that the Moroccan Parliament hosted, in late 2018, an international parliamentary conference on migration, during which it adopted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration. He also recalled the unanimous adoption by the Moroccan Parliament of Government Bill 01.19 approving the establishment of the headquarters of the African Migration Observatory in Rabat, following the agreement between the Kingdom of Morocco and the African Union on the matter. In this respect, it should be noted that the Observatory began its effective activity in late December 2020, for it represents for Africa an efficient mechanism to meet its real and urgent needs, provides it with a better understanding of the phenomenon of migration and enables the development of the collection, analysis, and exchange of information between African countries.

During this exceptional period in which the world is currently experiencing the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, Mr. Ouzzine stated that the Kingdom of Morocco intends to implement a renewed vision of governance in the field of migration, based on an inclusive and mutual humanitarian approach that guarantees dignity and achieves a better life for migrants. Mr. Ouzzine also noted the Kingdom’s bet on pursuing the efforts to settle their legal and economic situation.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives concluded that parliaments have crucial responsibilities in this area, including adopting the appropriate legislation and encouraging governments to implement inclusive public policies and spreading a culture of coexistence, tolerance, and respect for the right to difference, acceptance of others, moderation, prevention of xenophobic discourse, and redressing misconceptions about immigrants. In the same respect, he called for facilitating the development of the countries of emigration, peacefully settling and preventing disputes, and for addressing the real causes of this phenomenon.

The parliamentary delegation also includes the Deputy Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Islamic Affairs, and Moroccan Expatriates Committee at the House of Representatives.

This meeting aims to familiarize parliamentarians with the latest developments in migration governance at the global and regional levels, to encourage regional dialogue, and to exchange experiences on the role of parliaments in solving migration problems. It also aims to discuss the best means to ensure parliamentarians' participation in the regional review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration.