First meeting on the second operation for the regularization of foreigners in irregular administrative situations
Following the second operation to regularize undocumented foreigners, the National Appeal Committee held its first meeting on November 22nd 2017 at the headquarters of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) in Rabat, Morocco.
Mr. Driss El Yazami President of the Committee and CNDH Chairman, Mr. Abdelkrim Benatiq, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in charge of Moroccans living abroad and Migration Affairs, Mr. Khalid Zerouali, Wali, Director of Migration and Border Surveillance for Morocco at the Ministry of Interior participated to this meeting jointly with members of the Committee representing different ministerial department and civil society.
At this meeting, the committee examined the conduct of the second regularization operation launched on December 14th 2016 by His Majesty King Mohammed VI. This operation has so far collected 25,690 requests from 70 prefectures and provinces, of which 58.32% were issued by men, 32.95% by women and 8.73% by minors. Based on these data and the comments elaborated on the conduct of this operation, the Committee deliberated on the general criteria that should be taken into consideration when examining the individual appeals. This deliberation aimed to extend the number of people regularized in term of the operation.
Following this meeting, the Committee decided to:
- Establish a technical committee to examine the remaining files rejected at first instance;
- Speed up the process of the adoption of the law related to asylum;
- Accelerate the reform of the law 02-03 on the entry and the residency of foreigners in the Kingdom of Morocco, illegal emigration and immigration.
Those decisions are part of the new migration policy launched in September 2013. This new policy enabled, particularly, the opening of the Moroccan Office for asylum seekers and stateless persons. Also, as a result of this new policy, the publication of circulars in October 2013 and January 2014 authorized migrant children to study in public schools (formal and non-formal education) and allowed the drafting of bills relating to asylum, migration and people trafficking.
More than 23090 people benefited from the first exceptional campaign to document irregular migrants in 2014. Chaired by the CNDH, the mission of the National Appeal Committee is to review the conformity of the files submitted to the provincial commissions of regularization with the Constitution and the international human rights law or humanitarian criteria.