Morocco plans to regularise situation of illegal migrants

Morocco has announced a campaign to regularize the situation of illegal migrants residing on its territory (around 40,000) mostly from sub-Saharan Africa who came to the North African country with the hope to reach Europe, Moroccan officials said. The campaign will be held from January 1 to December 31, 2014, during which interior officers will receive the applications with the supervision of the ministry in charge of Human Rights and the National Council for Human Rights to ensure more transparency of the process, Anis Pirou, the Moroccan minister in charge of migrants told Xinhua on the sidelines of a presentation of this process Monday night near Rabat. "It's an unprecedented experience at both the Arab and African countries, reflects the traditions of Morocco as a host country," he said , adding that this process " seeks to address all the problems raised at the level of immigration according to a humanitarian approach in line with the new Constitution of the Kingdom and international laws." This operation is supposed to open the way for 40,000 mostly sub-Saharan Africans waiting for a chance to reach Europe to regularize their stay in Morocco. Thousands of migrants fleeing poverty and unrest in Africa try to enter Europe each year via Morocco, either by land into Ceuta and Melilla, two Spanish ports in the Moroccan territory, or by sea to Spain or Italy, often in flimsy vessels. But after European countries and Morocco tightened security control in the strait of Gibraltar, Morocco became a host country of migrants. "The scheme is targeting foreigners married to Moroccan nationals who prove at least two years of common life, and foreigners who are married to other foreigners residing legally in Morocco who prove at least four years of common life and foreigners who have been residing in Morocco for a period of not less than five consecutive years," Birou added. The process will also resolve the status of asylum seekers recognized by the Representation of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Morocco, numbering about 850 people, He said. This scheme is part of a new migration policy which King Mohammed VI Morocco promised back in September while urging the government "to immediately devise and implement a strategy and an appropriate action plan with a view to devising a comprehensive policy on immigration." "Morocco has become a host country for migrants. The number of immigrants from sub-Saharan African countries has quadrupled. Morocco has also recently experienced a new form of immigration from countries such as Spain, France and other European countries, " a statement of the royal palace said on September 10.