APS : Friday, 01 December 2017
ROME (Italy)- The minister of Foreign Affairs Abdelkader Messahel who is in Rome to partake in the “Rome-Mediterranean dialogues,” called for a “global approach” on illegal migration to address this phenomenon while taking into account its root causes.
Speaking about illegal immigration as a panelist, as part of this conference taking place in the Italian capital from 30 November to 2 December, Messahel called for “a global approach to address this phenomenon, while taking into account its root causes, at its top the countries’ level of development as well as the security status and the political stability in the concerned countries.”
Speaking about the phenomenon, the Foreign Minister said that illegal migration “would not be perceived and dealt with in its root causes if the objective interaction between this phenomenon, organized crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, armed conflicts and political instability is not taken into account.”
Messahel said that the scourge of illegal migration “is encouraged by criminal smuggling networks that should be fought against with the utmost vigour,” adding that “this fight should not, in any way, serve as an excuse to fuel racism and xenophobia caused by the mass arrival of migrants on the European soil.”
Speaking about the issue of migration in the Mediterranean, Messahel said that “migration represents, particularly regarding the significant loss of lives recorded and the reappearance of the shameful practice of slavery by criminal networks operating in Libya, a transnational challenge of utmost importance.”
