Speaking at the opening of a conference on migration of vulnerable groups, held on 27-29 in Rabat, Amrani highlighted the impact of international economic and financial crisis on the lives of migrants.

This category, he said, which has contributed to the economic development of host countries, should not become the victim of discrimination.

Dialogue and consultation remain the only way to resolve sensitive issues such as migration, Amrani added.

The EU should bring together Mediterranean and African partners to address, in full transparency and accountability, all policies, measures or actions affecting the legal status of economic, social and cultural integration of immigrants in Europe, he said.

The Moroccan official also called on EU countries to ratify the UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

For her part, Estrella Rodriguez Pardo, Director General for Immigrant Integration at the Spanish Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, stressed that the financial crisis is an opportunity to examine ways to ensure the protection of migrants' vulnerable groups, including victims of trafficking, unaccompanied minors and women migrants.

The meeting is held under the auspices of the Moroccan and Spanish governments in collaboration with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the International Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAP).

The three-day meeting is bringing together about sixty delegates, representing 27 African and European countries, in addition to eight international organizations.