21/7/2006
Rabat Document not Enough According to African Voices - By Anthony Pouliquen

The text agreed at the conference on Euro-African illegal immigration last week proposed more co-ordination for patrolling borders and sea routes, a joint observatory to track people's movements and measures to increase awareness of the dangers of illegal immigration in the younger African population.

In tune with the Commission’s ambitious Priority actions agenda, the two-day conference in Rabat, Morocco, brought together EU member states with a number of African countries of origin and transit, in order to focus on the West and Central African migration route.

Catherine Colonna, France’s European Affairs Minister, said: “We leave Rabat with a common approach, and that in itself is good as the problems are complex.”

Advocating fewer barriers to immigration from Africa to Europe, Louis Michel, Commissioner for development policy and humanitarian aid said: “the only long term and sustainable response to migration pressure is not sending people back or selective migration policies. The true response is investing massively in development. And this Action Plan recognises the linkage between migration and development and proposes concrete actions to make this work.”

But despite Europe wanting to prove it cares about African development, Reuters analysts Ingrid Melander and Tom Pfeiffer said that “the conference highlighted long-standing differences over responsibility for repatriating migrants and the level of EU help to Africa,” adding that no major new development aid for Africa was announced.

Mohamed Khachani, the head of the Moroccan migration research group AMERM, was quoted as saying: “There doesn’t seem to be much of a change of tack by Europe, which is still obsessed with fighting illegal migration.

“We expected a frank and sincere dialogue that goes to the heart of the problem, but it seems that didn’t happen.”

There were periodical disagreements on the project of micro-credits aimed at helping migrants to set businesses back home, with Oumar Hamadoun Dicko, Mali’s minister for nationals living abroad, speaking for the protesters.

He said: “We need to find solutions to unemployment problems, especially for the young.
“We need a Marshall Plan for Africa, not help that comes drop by drop.”

According to George Joffe, analyst at the Centre of International Studies in Cambridge, part of the reason for the migrant crisis is that decades of development aid coming from Europe has failed to create sufficient jobs in Africa.

During the conference there was little mention of the failing living standards and severe overpopulation that affects the few infrastructures on the continent.

Mohamed Khachani said little was done to relieve the immediate suffering of thousands of destitute Africans ready to brave treacherous seas in crowded motor launches and decrepit fishing boats for the chance of a new life in Europe.

More than 9,500 immigrants have landed in Spain’s Canary Islands from January to July 2006, a number that is twice last year’s total.