The movement of people has never stopped throughout history, but it was an easier and smoother process before the emergence of the nation state in its modern sense. Establishing borders and tightening controls hasn’t prevented migrants from taking risks in search of a better life and opportunities or seeking protection elsewhere.
The approaches to preventing migration varied with multiple viewpoints and differing interests among countries concerned with immigration, so the strongest countries prevailed and the rights of the main actor in the migration equation were absent.
The reason why the international human rights conscience has not calmed down is because it has always been calling to guarantee the rights of this group, which needs special protections.
The countries of destination and the countries of origin were divided. The first pleaded for controlled and organized migration and forced other countries to collaborate in the execution of these political plans. They tried to transform countries of origin into policemen of their exterior borders. But the countries of origin refused this unilateral security approach. They required negotiations and partnership to create a global and realistic approach that included synergy between immigration and development.
It's a real conflict of interest; the aims are incompatible and opposed. Countries of destination researched and cherry picked to benefit from the advantages of immigration and refused to contribute and help to strike the necessary balance of development.
Provided that people didn’t choose to migrate only to improve their economic situation and level of living, in most cases, the migrants were obliged to seek protection, they were fearing for their health, safety or the safety of their family. They were fleeing for fear of persecution and oppression due to various reasons: race, color, language, religion, or sex and sought protection in other places and countries. This category of migrants didn't choose to move and they weren’t free to leave their countries; they were forced and compelled to leave them.
As a result, the international community has elaborated and established specific norms. It has approved and ratified pacts and conventions to assure the rights and freedoms of migrants are guaranteed. Despite this. the rights violations have continued. Although this advanced juridical system in the international law of human rights is in place, the practicing states are conservative and they give priority to their subjects’ sovereignty and relative motives. They prioritize protecting the security and wellness of their citizens. But this is a false fear and prioritization! Immigration doesn't and hasn’t ever represented anything dangerous .
Broadly speaking, immigration is an element of power and can restore balance to a population. Through the depths of history, immigration has been a way to exchange riches between nations and peoples. Conversely, and viewed from a semi-pessimistic lense, immigration is a synonym for tragedy and can lead to hideous exploitation and human trafficking.
In the midst of competition between countries of destination and countries of origin, the rights of the migrants’ principle actors --issued from Africa, Asia and South America --in the immigration equation have been lost.
That is why the United Nations has organized an international conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, an African country, in order to establish organized migration and give priority to the rights of migrants.
It's a great sign and a strong symbol to express serious solidarity of the international community with the global south, and to the African continent, a victim of past injustices. It’s also the United Nations’ recognition of Morocco's efforts in the fields of immigration in Africa.
In conclusion, l would like to achieve this modest tentative with what the General Secretary of the United Nations said speaking from the podium in the General Assembly Hall last week . “We need to move from death to health; from disaster to reconstruction; from despair to hope; from business as usual, to transformation.”
It’s the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity and to really be considerate to achieve a peaceful world without borders, a world with bridges not walls. This hope can appear extremely optimistic and not realizable. But if we are hardworking, we will attain our goal. Look at all the great projects and strong initiatives through time, at some point it was simply an individual thought . Let's dream and keep out selfishness in international relations. we will achieve our goals.
* Lawyer, International expert;international law , immigration law and sahara conflict.
