Vatican City: Moroccan Ambassador to the Holy See and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Rajae Naji Mekkaoui, highlighted Morocco’s approach to migration policy under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI during an event in Rome on Wednesday.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, Ms. Naji Mekkaoui stated that “Morocco is well-positioned on the international stage in terms of migration policy, thanks to its initiatives and commitments under the High Directives of His Majesty the King,” during a meeting themed “Migration and Migration Policy of the Kingdom of Morocco,” organized by the Caritas Politica institution. The diplomat emphasized Morocco’s role as a ‘reliable partner’ in managing migration flows, combating illegal migration, and human trafficking, and noted the country’s active participation in various processes and initiatives at bilateral, regional, continental, and international levels.
Under the leadership of His Majesty the King, Morocco has implemented a “comprehensive, compass
ionate, humanitarian, and pioneering” national strategy on immigration and asylum. This strategy incorporates key aspects such as human rights and adherence to international law. Naji Mekkaoui highlighted the implementation of the National Strategy for Immigration and Asylum (SNIA), which has resulted in two exceptional integration operations for migrants in irregular status within Morocco, regularizing the status of approximately 60,000 migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan African countries.
In the past year, Morocco also regularized the status of over 2,300 refugees. The diplomat underscored that Morocco was one of the first countries to ratify the 1951 Geneva Convention on refugees and was the second globally to ratify the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. This Moroccan approach aims to leverage migration as a development catalyst while ensuring necessary protections for vulnerable migrants, with sector-specific action programs in areas such as e
ducation, training, healthcare, housing, social protection, employment, human trafficking prevention, international cooperation, and governance.
“It is therefore no coincidence that Morocco hosted the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Marrakech in December 2018, which led to the adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration,” noted the diplomat. This demonstrates Morocco’s dedicated efforts and particular focus on Africa. At the African level, Morocco’s commitment is reflected in the strong dedication and leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI through initiatives like the African Agenda on Migration, promoting a new vision for managing African migration.
At the European level, Morocco’s cooperation with European countries is based on a holistic approach grounded in mutual respect, solidarity, and sustainable solutions. Naji Mekkaoui pointed out Morocco’s active contribution to facilitating dialogue on migration through the Rabat Process on migration and development, i
nitiated in 2006, within the Euro-African and Euro-Mediterranean contexts.
Naji Mekkaoui further noted that “the pressure of irregular migration has worsened due to the cynical exploitation of protection and reception policies by criminal migrant trafficking networks, particularly targeting young people, who have distorted these noble goals for personal gain.” Morocco has consistently emphasized the importance of ‘rational and humane’ governance of migration issues at regional and multilateral levels, aligning with the objectives of the Marrakech Compact. The event also saw the attendance of Cardinal João Braz de Aviz and the Mexican Ambassador Alberto Medardo Barranco Chavarría.