Whether seen as a factor contributing to the development or disintegration of the socio-economic fabric of countries of origin and destination, the issue of migration is, at present, a topical one. The recent waves of violence against immigrants in South Africa and Italy are proof of this reality. Far from finding an appropriate, and above all concerted, solution to this international problem, States are taking national measures that increasingly restrict migratory flows.
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The African continent is affected in more ways than one by this issue. At once places of origin, transit and destination, African countries often do not have any migration policy in place and can but condemn the measures taken by other countries, particularly European countries. Nevertheless, this issue has often been discussed at ministerial-level meetings, including the Euro-African Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development in Rabat in July 2006, and in Syrte, Libya, in November 2006. There have, however, been few concrete results.
Faced with this situation, and concerned by the growing scope of the issue – which is a source of both dramatic and tragic incidents – the African Inter-Parliamentary Union (APU) organized, in cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a conference on “Africa and migration: challenges, problems, solutions” at the Parliament of Morocco in Rabat. The conference brought together about one hundred participants, including parliamentarians, parliamentary staff of Member Parliaments, APU observers, regional, continental and international institutions, and members of the Spanish Senate.
During their presentations, the experts argued in favour of a migration policy that was integrated on the regional and continental levels. They emphasized the paramount role that parliamentarians must play by passing appropriate legislation and devising a parliamentary strategy to address effectively the issue of migration. Following the workshops on migration and development, the humanitarian aspects of migration, migration and human rights, and regional initiatives, the participants recommended encouraging investment in countries of origin in order to foster an employment-generating climate. Furthermore, they called on destination countries to compensate financially the “brain drain” experienced by countries of origin.
They urged countries that had not already done so to ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and to bring their domestic legislation into line with its provisions. Since migration was closely linked to human rights, the participants invited the countries of origin and destination to take appropriate measures to prevent human trafficking and to enforce migrants’ rights. As part of a concerted effort, the participants advocated cooperation between African countries, and establishing a dialogue with European countries based on mutual respect and the interests of both parties.
