Morocco’s leadership in migration was highlighted during a conference held Tuesday at the Italian Senate in Rome.
“The Kingdom aspires to become a model in the management of the migration issue,” said Ahmed Herzenni, Ambassador-at-Large in charge of human rights issues, during this event on migration and counter-terrorism.
“Having passed from the status of a sending or transit country to a host country for migrants, Morocco has accumulated several achievements and has made remarkable progress in this field,” Herzenni told prominent parliamentary and diplomatic figures.
More than 50,000 migrants have regularized their situation and benefit from support health, education and professional programs, he said.
To meet the various challenges related to the migration issue, the Kingdom has put in place exceptional measures, including Law 02.03 on the entry and stay of foreigners in Morocco, illegal immigration and the law on human trafficking, Herzenni stated.
For his part, Morocco’s Ambassador to Italy, Youssef Balla, highlighted the efforts made by the Kingdom to facilitate the integration of migrants within the framework of the migration policy and the National Strategy for migration and Asylum.
“Based on the values of solidarity, hospitality and respect for human rights, the national strategy for migration and asylum, prompted under the guidance of HM King Mohammed VI, is founded on the will of the Kingdom to respect its international commitments and the provisions of the 2011 Constitution,” Balla stated.
Aicha Naciri, a member of the National Council for Human Rights, stressed that the approval of Law 27-14 on human trafficking has provided a new and detailed legislative framework which adds up to a series of even broader reforms.
Participants in this meeting highlighted the model of management of the migration issue in the region of Laayoune Sakia El Hamra.
Italian senators have praised the leading role of the Kingdom in the fight against extremism and terrorism, welcoming the holding in Morocco of the first ministerial meeting of the global coalition to defeat Daesh/ISIS.
This international event reflects the confidence enjoyed by the Kingdom as a “credible and indispensable partner in the fight against terrorism,” they said.
