On 31 January 2024, the Migrant Information and Orientation Desk was inaugurated within the framework of the European Union-funded project "Mediterranean City-to-City Migration - Reinforcing Urban Capacity Partnerships ” (MC2CM-RUCP), implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).
Representatives from the Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts, and Social and Solidarity Economy, along with the Municipality of Casablanca and partners such as the European Union and ICMPD, attended the ceremony at the Specialized Institute of Traditional Arts Moulay Rachid of the Regional Directorate of Handicrafts Casablanca-Settat, which will host the Desk.
The initiative was carried out in partnership with the Municipality of Casablanca and the Regional Directorate of Handicrafts Casablanca-Settat of the Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy. It aims to facilitate migrant people's access to vocational training services, preparing them for effective integration into the job market.
Through this pilot initiative, beneficiaries will be able to familiarise themselves with diverse training programmes offered by the Ministry, the National Mutual Aid (Entraide Nationale), and the Office of Vocational Training and Employment Promotion (OFPPT). The Migrant Information and Orientation Desk will serve as a guidance platform, highlighting the various opportunities available, tailored to the specific needs and abilities of migrant communities.
The Desk will be integrated with the "Migrant(e)s Help" mobile application, developed in partnership with the local NGO “Pionniers du Changement” of Oujda. With a detailed map of available public services, the application will enable users to easily locate key institutions such as government offices, health centres, schools, and other essential services in Casablanca, Rabat, and Oujda.
The initiative is also in line with the operationalisation of ICMPD's Migration Capacity Partnerships strategy in the Mediterranean region and the "joint leadership and shared responsibility" approach, which involves mutual recognition of the partners' respective skills, capacities, contextual know-how, needs, priorities, and objectives in terms of migration and mobility in their geographical areas.
The action MC2CM – RUCP, implemented in partnership with UCLG, the UN-HABITAT and the Municipality of Casablanca, aimed at strengthening urban capacity partnerships in the field of integration and inclusion of migrants, enabling municipal authorities to address the issue in a holistic manner. With the establishment of the Migration Coordination Unit of Casablanca, under the aegis of MC2CM and the Municipality, representatives of national institutions, local NGOs, and migrant associations are gathered. This allows for an in-depth consideration of the migration realities facing the city, shaping actions in response to these specific challenges.
The MCP Med framework relies on four catalysts to strengthen capacity-focused migration partnerships: multi-dimensional governance, professionalisation, modernisation, and communication, which intersect through programmes, projects, and activities. The "Migrant Information and Orientation Desk on Vocational Training Service Offers" in Casablanca and the Migrant(e)s Help" mobile application will contribute to strengthening professional capacities, improving coordination and cooperation between different actors and stakeholders, strategic communication on migration, securing resources to modernise and maintain migration-related infrastructures).