North African Migration Policies Take Center Stage in Research Webinar

The virtual meeting organized on the initiative of the "Policy Center For The New South" has the theme, "The role of North Africa in the geographical relations between Europe and Africa: Focus on migration and mobility". Amal El Ouassif, a researcher in international relations at the "Policy Center for the New South", speaking during the webinar, highlighted the role of Morocco as a passage between sub-Saharan Africa and the European Union (EU), while emphasizing the good relations between the two parties.

"The issue of migration is a major issue for all North African countries," and the current health crisis is exacerbating the seriousness of the issue, the researcher said. She also addressed the success of the Moroccan model in managing migration, including the regularization of the situation of several sub-Saharan migrants in Morocco. Without forgetting to point out the need to develop an Africa-Africa vision in the management of migration.

Hassen Boubakri, professor at the University of Sousse (Tunisia) and president of the Tunis Center for Migration and Asylum, for his part, emphasized the fact that North Africa is located between two strategic neighborhoods, hence the need to put in place good governance of management. In addition, North Africa contains important potentials, to develop a migration policy that can meet its interests, he added.

Bouchra Rahmouni, Director of Research, Partnerships and Events at the "Policy Center for the New South", for her part, said that migration has profitable opportunities for all stakeholders. The migration issue should therefore be reconsidered as a non-negligible asset in this time of pandemic.

It should be noted that the webinar analyzed various themes including cooperation between Africa and Europe, Morocco’s leading role at the African level, to name but a few. Launched in 2014 in Rabat, with more than 40 associated researchers from the South and the North, the "Policy Center for the New South" offers a Southern perspective on the challenges of developing countries, reports La Map.