Migration: Draft Resolution at European Parliament, Denial of Common Achievements – Upper House –

The Speaker and the members of the bureau of the House of Advisors (upper house) on Monday underlined that “the inclusion of a draft resolution at the European Parliament on a so-called + use of minors by the Moroccan authorities + in the migratory crisis of Sebta” is a denial of the common gains made by relations between Morocco and the European Union. This human tragedy cannot be the subject of political escalation, said the House in a statement issued at the end of a meeting of its bureau, chaired by Speaker Abdelhakim Benchamach, adding that the draft resolution is in contradiction with the positions taken by senior European officials and other institutions which consider Morocco as a key partner and strategic ally. The Speaker of the House and the members of the bureau also expressed their astonishment and their condemnation following the inscription by some parties at the European Parliament of a draft resolution on a so-called + use of minors by the Moroccan authorities + during the migratory crisis in the occupied city of Sebta. They welcomed the clear and strong commitment of the Kingdom of Morocco, reiterated by HM the King, to accept the return of unaccompanied minors, within the framework of cooperation mechanisms established with European partners and related international commitments. They also reaffirmed that Morocco, like the EU, places the migration issue within the framework of a holistic approach that takes into account the specificities and complexities of this phenomenon, as well as the principle of shared responsibility, in accordance with the principles of international humanitarian law and within the framework of a north-south partnership reconciling the issues of migration and the challenges of development. The Speaker and the members of the Bureau of the House also highlighted the consequences of the latest developments in diplomatic relations between Morocco and Spain, noting that Madrid seeks to involve the European Union institutions in this crisis triggered by the Spanish positions hostile to the territorial integrity of the Kingdom, the statement said.