Media Center

Rome - Media & Communication Dept. - July 23 

The State of Qatar participated in conference on irregular migration that was held in Rome today under the auspices of HE Prime Minister of the Republic of Italy Giorgia Meloni.

The State of Qatar was represented at the conference by HE Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater.

Leaders and officials from the southern Mediterranean countries, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Africa, the European Union and international financial institutions participated in the conference.

The conference aims to govern the migration phenomenon, combat human trafficking and promote economic development according to a new model of cooperation between states, especially in infrastructure, education, agriculture, environment, water, training and health care.

In a speech to the conference, HE the Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted the great importance attached by the State of Qatar to reaching practical and comprehensive international solutions to the issue of migration and migrants based on the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter.

The State of Qatar, she stressed, is fully convinced that the root causes of illegal migration are primarily economic and security. Based on the relationship between irregular migration and lack of development, the State of Qatar is still investing in economic and social development in a large number of developing and least developed countries within the framework of bilateral and regional cooperation formulas in order to build safe and stable societies, she added.

Her Excellency explained that the State of Qatar had an experience with the evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021, as it provided more than 100,000 Afghan migrants with the requirements of a decent life until they are reunited with their families, noting that the State of Qatar is still continuing its efforts to restore stability to Afghanistan and has repeatedly called for the existence of an international mechanism and guarantees that provide a safe environment for the Syrian refugees and create conditions and guarantees that can allow them to return to their cities and villages.

HE the Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that the latest chapters in the tragedy of the Arab region is the war in brotherly Sudan. Since the outbreak of the conflict there, we have seen the displacement and migration of at least one and a half million Sudanese, noting that these warning signs call on all of us to take action to contain the crisis before this tragedy gets out of control, pointing out in this context that the State of Qatar pledged $50 million last month to support the efforts of the humanitarian response plan in Sudan and the regional plan for refugees.

Concluding her speech, Her Excellency stressed that the unprecedented global crises being witnessed today, including the issue of irregular migration and the need to reduce the flows of irregular migrants, require an unprecedented global response to tackle them by addressing the root causes of these crises.