Royal Instructions led to the Inauguration of the African Migration Observatory in Rabat

Moroccan minister of foreign affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan residing abroad, Nasser Bourita and Commissioner of Social Affairs of the African Union Commission, Amira El Fadil, chaired Friday, December 18^th, the inauguration of the African Migration Observatory following the instructions of HM king of Morocco, Mohammed VI, in order to help Africa manage migration files.

The inauguration ceremony took place in the Observatory building in Hay Riad in Rabat. Different diplomatic and UN representatives attended the inauguration.

Morocco has allocated a building with high standards to serve as the Observatory which is going to collect different data about migration in Africa, provide assistance for African countries to develop skills in order to advance their national migration policies. Thus, provide a better management of migration flow.

The African Union Commission, led by Moussa Faki signed, in the presence of Amira El Fadil, an agreement of the location of the Observatory to be held in Rabat, Morocco. Nasser Bourita was the representative of Morocco during the signature.

Bourita in his speech during the inauguration clarified that the opening of the Observatory stems from HM King Mohammed VI will as an African leader in Migration issues. He further added that the idea of the Observatory is the outcome of a Royal vision advanced in January 2018 in the presence of African Union Leaders.

Bourita stressed that the Observatory’s mission is critical and constructive as it aims at lifting the fog over the ambiguity and stereotypes of migration in Africa. It will also work to improve the situation of migrants and strengthen ties between migration and development.

He further added that the Observatory must endorse proactive and cognitive missions. It provides a platform, a working place of different African experts. It must also be the source of public policies after being scrutinized following a scientific approach about issues related to migration in order to fully comprehend the issue before developing it.

The Observatory is going to establish a data base about migration in Africa, then a portal about migration following the example of the Portal of International Organization of Migration. This will make of Rabat an African Platform to analyze and understand the complicacies of migration and provide scientific solutions independent from European instructions.

On her part, Amira El Fadil thanked His Majesty King Mohammed VI for his efforts and initiatives concerning the migration file in Africa. She also expressed how Morocco has become a leading country in treating Migration Issues.

She further added that the inauguration of this Observatory in Rabat is considered a historic event, because it is the first African corps in Morocco. She also explained that in order to treat the issue of migration, exact resources must be available based on accurate and valid numbers.

She also clarified that the member countries of the African Union can deal today with the Observatory concerning issues related to Migration, inviting the governments to cooperate and exchange data with the Observatory.

Amira El Fadil continued that the African Union complements what the European Union advances in this sector. However, it is high time for Africa, as a continent, to provide its own personal data and develop its own strategies in managing this phenomenon. She also stressed that migration can contribute in development if managed rationally.

It is worth mentioning that the instructions His Majesty, King Mohammed VI, led to enable the African Migration Observatory in no time within the framework of Morocco’s commitment towards the issue of Migration in Africa and Morocco’s clear awareness of the priority of this issue in each African Country.