Activating the African Observatory for Immigration in Morocco will enable it to asses the immigration issue within Africa, recall the observatory’s essential role in the migration governance in the continent, and respond to the structural needs in providing accurate data about it, said a report prepared by King Mohammed VI.
The report was presented on Monday to the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
According to the report, a false impression about migration is spread in Africa. It said migration is linked exclusively to poverty, while it is a phenomenon that has other motives, such as climate change. Floods, droughts and other effects of climate change cause millions of Africans to flee their areas.
Africa is the most affected continent by the “environmental migration” phenomenon. Out of the 140 million potential immigrants due to climate change, more than 86 million could be from sub-Saharan Africa by 2050.
It affirmed that establishing the observatory would allow Africa to implement the requirements of Marrakesh Pact on Migration.
Africa will bear its responsibility by holding an African regional conference on implementing the pact in Morocco, and it will provide the necessary impetus for multilateral management of the migration issue for the benefit of Africa’s citizens, especially its youth, the report added.
It pointed out that the number of migrants around the world has amounted to 272 million in 2019, which is steadily increasing.
Morocco's Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani presented the report on behalf of the King and explained that Africa is facing major global challenges, such as poverty, conflicts, insecurity, and climate change, in addition to demographic growth, youth unemployment, and urbanization.
In this context, the report highlighted that fact that immigration in Africa is a complex issue, especially due to the absence of data related to its flows, noting that African migrants, asylum seekers, and forcibly displaced people follow the same migration paths.
