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WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2013 /Standard Newswire/ -- Morocco is committed to integrating human rights principles, including the protection of migrants' rights and asylum seekers, into its legal and judiciary systems at the national level. King Mohammed VI called on Moroccan judicial, governmental and non-governmental agencies to make human rights a cross-cutting priority as they develop new legal standards to fight human trafficking while protecting the rights of all immigrants residing in Morocco regardless of their status.

Mindful of the importance to protect immigrants and asylum seekers rights, Morocco, with 5 million nationals living abroad, is undertaking profound changes to its laws, institutions and courts to create mechanisms that will insure fair and dignified treatments of all foreigners in the country.

Moroccans have always been welcoming to all migrants especially those coming from African countries. The Kingdom cherishes its special historic and cultural relationship with its African partners and is committed to the protection of their citizens residing in Morocco.

Even though Moroccan immigration law possesses a national and international legal framework regulating residency of foreigners in Morocco and while the constitution guarantees the principle of non-discrimination and protects the right to seek asylum, the Moroccan Monarch solicited the civil society to analyze the new challenges facing migrants and refugees and to draft recommendations to insure further protection of all immigrants.

Heeding the King's calls, the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), an organization created by Royal decree, issued its recommendation calling for a "human rights-based" approach that recognizes the existence of immigrant rights that can be protected and guaranteed.

CNDH proposes center around human rights standards that were developed from recommendations submitted by several Moroccan NGOs with the active and meaningful participation of activists. To create a best practices model, The CNDH called for the establishment of a permanent platform for dialogue between the government and members of local and international civil society allowing the exchange of information, the mobilization of humanitarian assistance and legal expertise.

However, CNDH chief recommendations focus on the creation of new legislative reforms based on future findings from a proposed national survey on the phenomenon of human trafficking. The Council will propose further initiatives to include a national plan of action to combat human trafficking, specific training programs to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement officials in their fight against traffickers, coherent cooperation between the concerned security services.