Speaker Page : Legislature (2016-2021):
Statement Following Emergency Meeting of Board of House of Representatives and Chairpersons of Parliamentary Groups and Caucus
- In an emergency meeting held on 10/06/2021, chaired by Speaker of House of Representatives Habib El Malki, the members of the Board of the House of Representatives and the chairpersons of the parliamentary groups and caucus discussed the adoption by the European Parliament on the same day of a non-legislative resolution relating to unaccompanied minors and migration.
- The Board of the House of Representatives and the chairpersons of the parliamentary groups and caucus would like, first of all, to applaud the numerous European deputies, belonging to different political groups and nationalities, who did not approve of this confrontational move.
- The Board of the House of Representatives and the chairpersons of the parliamentary groups and caucus extend their appreciation for the Arab and Pan-African Parliaments for their solidarity with the Kingdom of Morocco and their rejection of the exploitation of the European Parliament in a bilateral crisis between the Kingdom of Morocco and Spain.
- The Board of the House of Representatives and the chairpersons of the parliamentary groups and caucus denounce the numerous inappropriate provisions included in this resolution and its ulterior motives.
- The resolution is a clear maneuver to shift attention from a political crisis between the Kingdom of Morocco and Spain and a futile attempt to Europeanize a bilateral crisis of a known background and where the responsibilities are well defined.
- The crisis between the Kingdom of Morocco and Spain is related to the attitude and actions of Spain with regard to the Moroccan Sahara, which is a sacred cause for the Moroccan Nation, its institutions, and active forces.
- The Board of the House of Representatives and the chairpersons of the parliamentary groups and caucus deplore the manipulation of the European Parliament by few European deputies who flout the important partnership linking the Kingdom of Morocco to the European Union. They are also disappointed that the partnership instruments and dialogue mechanisms between the Moroccan legislative institutions and their European counterparts did not meet, nor were they active.
- The Board of the House of Representatives and the chairpersons of the parliamentary groups and caucus condemn the content of this resolution that includes several falsehoods.
- The Board of the House of Representatives and the chairpersons of the parliamentary groups and caucus highlight that the record of the Kingdom of Morocco in fighting illegal migration is renowned, acknowledged, and evidenced by figures. In this respect, the cooperation in migration enabled, since 2017, the abortion of more than 14,000 illegal migration attempts, the dismantlement of 5000 trafficking networks, and the prevention of countless storming attempts.
- Besides, and concerning unaccompanied minors, the Kingdom of Morocco has always been at the forefront of the countries that address this issue alongside numerous States members of the European Union, as it demanded its resolution in 2018. In the same respect, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, had recently reiterated his high directives to the Ministers of Interior and Foreign Affairs to find a definitive solution to this issue, bearing in mind that the obstacles emanate mainly from the complexity of procedures in the concerned European countries.
- As regards the reference to the city of Sebta in the resolution text, the Board of the House of Representatives and the chairpersons of the parliamentary groups and caucus reaffirm its legal status as an occupied Moroccan city.
- The European Parliament has taken a position going against the trend of unanimous recognition of the status of the Kingdom of Morocco and its role in cooperation in migration.
- No United Nations Agency (UNICEF, IOM, OHCHR, etc.) or independent reporters have spoken out regarding the issue of Moroccan minors or any breach of the international commitments by Morocco.
- On the contrary, the European Commission and the European External Action Service highly commended the decisions taken by the Moroccan authorities to proceed to repatriate the properly identified Moroccan minors. They also highlighted the key role of the Kingdom of Morocco in cooperation in migration.
- The Board of the House of Representatives and the chairpersons of the parliamentary groups and caucus, while condemning the activism of some European deputies, will continue to cooperate with their European partners within mutual respect and consideration of the supreme interests of the Kingdom of Morocco.