Brussels, 21/10/2005 (Agence Europe) - In a press release issued on Friday, Commissioner Franco Frattini welcomed the “ willingness of the Moroccan authorities to meet representatives of the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to seek a solution on the fate of the illegal immigrants in Morocco". Currently, a team of experts from the United Nations refugee agency, which was sent Morocco on 11 October, is still waiting for government authorisation to visit several immigrants who are said to be under arrest in various locations. "Although it is hard to get hold of precise figures, the agency has evidence that dozens of people from sub-Saharan Africa holding identity papers issued by the UNHCR have been arrested by the Moroccan authorities and are the victims of repressive measures", said a UNHCR press release, which was published in Geneva on Thursday.
"The UNHCR repeats that people coming under its jurisdiction may not be repressed or forcibly sent back to countries where they may find themselves in a position of danger", said Ekber Menemencioglu, director of the UNHCR office for Central Asia, Southeastern Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. Franco Frattini reiterated that "international protection must be afforded to these immigrants, who include refugees among them". The Commissioner with responsibility for Justice, Liberty and Security also stressed that Morocco "must do all in its power to facilitate contact between the UNHCR and illegal immigrants, particularly those in the south and east of the Moroccan territory".