Moroccan human rights minister meets head of international migration organization

Moroccan Human Rights Minister Mohamed Aujjar met in Rabat on Monday with the general director of the International Organization of Migration (IOM), Brunson McKinley.

The OIM chief is visiting Morocco this February 28 through March 4.

Talks covered cooperation between Morocco and the organization in protecting human rights of Moroccan expatriates.

Before leaving Geneva, the OIM chief said his talks with Moroccan officials and representatives of Moroccan expatriates seek to lay down the bases for lasting and dynamic cooperation between the organization and Morocco, in migration issues and set forth "a new partnership" as a first step in developing a regional approach to migration issues.

Morocco became full member of the Geneva-based organization last November after it had an observer status since 1992.

"IOM believes that an appropriate cooperation framework between countries of the Maghreb and interested European countries will contribute to finding adequate solutions to regional migratory issues," McKinley said in a statement released in Geneva.

The OIM, an inter-governmental organization, is acting with its partners in the international community to "settle migration issues," "promote awareness on migration," "enhance economic and social development through migration" and "see to the respect of human dignity and well-being of migrants."