The Rabat Process – Euro-African Dialogue on Migration and Development

The Rabat Process is a migration dialogue that was founded in July 2006 in Rabat to bring together African and European countries to discuss and develop pragmatic and balanced approaches to dealing with migration and development issues. 

In the framework of this Euro-African dialogue, more than 58 countries and organisations gather regularly to discuss questions of migration and development at technical and senior official levels, while Euro-African ministerial conferences define the strategic objectives. Four ministerial conferences have so far taken place, hosted by key stakeholders of the dialogue:  

• 2006: Morocco, adoption of the Rabat Action Plan
• 2008: France, adoption of the Paris Cooperation Programme
• 2011: Senegal, adoption of the Dakar Strategy
• 2014: Italy, adoption of the Rome Declaration and Programme
• 2018, Morocco, adoption of Marrakesh Programme

Priority domains defined in the Marrakesh Programme 2018-2020, which included a Political Declaration as well as a targeted and operational Action Plan, are aligned with the domains of the Joint Valletta Action Plan and include:

• The benefits of migrations in terms of development and the fight against the root causes of irregular migration and the phenomenon of displaced persons.
• Legal migration and mobility
• Protection and asylum
• The prevention of irregular migration, trafficking of migrants and human trafficking, and fighting against these phenomena
• Return, readmission and reintegration

Main aim:

To provide a platform for political cooperation amongst the countries along the migration route between Central, Western, Northern Africa and Europe and to promote policy-making on migration issues, through an approach that includes the link between migration and development.

Dates:

Since 2006

For more information:

• https://www.rabat-process.org/fr/

GFMD 2018 - Background Paper RT Session 2.2 "Regional mobility and policy coherence to support development"