Declaration of Tangiers

 

Original: Spanish

The Socialist International Committee on Migrations, meeting in Tangiers, Morocco, on 2-3 May 2014, under the theme of “Humanising Migration”:

Expresses its appreciation to the host party, the Socialist Union of Popular Forces, USFP, for the kind hospitality received during the event, for their invaluable help in the organisation of the meeting and the symbolic importance of bringing the Committee to the emblematic city of Tangiers.

Recognises the suffering of those refugees who find themselves forced to flee the armed conflicts in countries like Syria or Central African Republic, and calls on the parties involved to advance efforts in the search for peace.

Declares its satisfaction that in places like Angola and Kurdistan once the conflicts were over, their citizens have been able to return to their countries of origin because the causes that led them abandon their homes had disappeared.

Convening in the region of the Mediterranean that experiences South-North migration, it deeply regrets the deaths of people drowned in this Sea and encourages the coastal states to undertake all means and efforts necessary in order to avoid the further loss of lives. At the same time, it recognises what is already being done by many of the countries concerned as well as by the European Union through their different programmes.

Highlights the efforts undertaken by some countries to manage immigration and in this respect, it supports the efforts by Morocco to regularise the situation of the immigrants in its territory.

In the conclusions adopted by the participants, IT WAS AGREED

1. To highlight the migration phenomenon as a positive fact, for economic development as well as for cultural exchange, as it helps to redress the demographic imbalances and, in particular, the low birth rates in the host countries, mindful that all analyses and opinions should also take into account the inherent risks involved in the countries of origin at the loss of human capital and brain drain.

2. To recognise the right of people to emigrate in search of a better life as a universal but limited ius migrandi, and at the same time this must be combined with the right of states to develop migratory policies that channel the migration flows in accordance with the needs and capacity of the host countries.

3. To support the fight of all countries against the mafias engaged in the traffic of human beings and against irregular immigration but, at the same time, to demand the most scrupulous respect for the human rights and dignity of all immigrants, including those who attempt to enter another country or to remain in a country under irregular conditions, as well as the provision of means for defending borders and the priority that should be given to life and to the physical integrity of people.

4. To express concern at the growth of xenophobic political positions, or those that lay the blame on immigrants, such as the case of the recent referendum in Switzerland, trying to unduly restrict the movement of peoples or their rights, and stigmatize the immigrants.

5. To promote a full integration of all foreigners in the host countries by means of policies directed at the entire citizenship with strategies that guarantee equality of rights, duties and opportunities, strengthening the foundations for coexistence and social cohesion based on the principles of equality, non-discrimination, citizenship, inter-culturality and inclusion.

6. To consider recognising the right to vote of immigrants integrated in the host countries after a reasonable length of time, and to facilitate access to nationality through residence.

7. Under the principle of solidarity, to guarantee to people who are in imminent need of refuge or who come directly from countries in conflict situations or from refugee camps in border countries, the right to asylum and international protection, and to foster agreements for their safe passage to secure territories.

8. To incorporate international cooperation and development cooperation which affect the management of migrations, based on the principles of joint responsibility and solidarity, in order to gain an integrated approach to the different facets when dealing with the phenomenon of migrations.

9. To take a special consideration of the migration of women which, in accordance with the latest data, represents more than half the total number of migrants, as well as to address the risks of subjecting women to networks of trafficking in human beings for sexual exploitation, something which calls for the implementation of specific protection measures.

10. To acknowledge the role of migrants organisations and of civil society as facilitators of the processes of integration and sensitising public opinion to this phenomenon.

11. To consider that the subject of migrations must be addressed at global level, and therefore within our debates and meetings of the Socialist International, given that the scope of the theme transcends national policies as it also does in many respects, international regional organisations.

12. To encourage all the instances within our organisation to influence the socialist and social democratic governments and parties to assume the ideas and values expressed herein, to transform them into laws and to incorporate them in the development of their public policies.

13. To request that our organisation convey within the framework of the United Nations the need for the theme of migrations to be included in the new objectives of the millennium post-2015. To this end, a joint work will be undertaken asking for contributions from all the members, in order to prepare a draft Charter of Rights of Migrants, which will be presented at the next Council of the Socialist International.