LAS PALMAS: Picture shows the grave of a Malian migrant toddler who died in March this year after arriving in Arguineguin in respiratory arrest on March 16, in San Lazaro cemetery in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, on November 17, 2021. - AFP

ROME: Representative of the Kuwaiti National Assembly Fares Al-Otaibi urged enhancing international parliamentary cooperation to tackle the immigration issues and approve the international charter on immigration. The Mediterranean region and the world at large experience the biggest wave of illegal immigration since the World War II, he said in a speech to the seventh edition of the Rome MED - Mediterranean Dialogues. Otaibi, rapporteur of the Kuwaiti parliamentary foreign affairs committee, made the speech before quitting the session during the speech of the Zionist entity's representative. He regretted that thousands of people who were forced to immigrate illegally have lost their lives during their pursuit of hope.

"Illegal immigration, whatever its causes might be, has become a fait accompli which results in economic, security and demographical impacts on host countries," Otaibi pointed out. Millions of illegal immigrants continue to live in severe living conditions and suffer from various types of discrimination, he said, noting, that "this requires setting out on a well-calculated process to facilitate the integration of immigrants into host communities."

"Otherwise, the world will definitely face the biggest humanitarian and economic disaster, which risks exacerbating the scarcity of natural resources, and jeopardizing the food and water security," he warned. The Kuwaiti MP urged backing up the global charter on safe and orderly immigration as a way to protect the rights of immigrants and refugees and improve their living conditions.

He highlighted the need for the international community to share the responsibility for finding fairer and more effective solutions that could restore stability and security in the home countries of immigrants, thus creating the conditions for their voluntary return. He also called for scaling up international support to the Arab and Muslim countries that bear the brunt of hosting the refugees who fled conflict in their countries.

Underling the need to address the root causes of instabilities, foremost among which is the Question of Palestine, he said the Palestinian people are suffering the ordeal of the Zionist occupation with millions of them living in refugee camps over the past decades. After reaffirming the supportive stance of the Kuwaiti leaders, government and people to the fair demands of the Palestinian people, Otaibi left the hall of the meeting upon the start of a speech by the Zionist representative via a video link.

Migrants' plight

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi had opened on Friday Rome's Mediterranean Dialogue Forum (MED 2021) for sustainable growth with the participation of several states including Kuwait. In the opening address to the event, Draghi -- via video -- said that Mediterranean countries were in need of cooperation and ways to address challenges such as the migrants' plight as well as incidents such as the six-day closure of the Suez Canal back in March.

Bringing the focus to the GCC region, Draghi indicated there was a need to develop cooperation between the Mediterranean and the GCC region through various new mechanisms. He noted that events such as Expo 2020 Dubai would help bolster regional and international cooperation on various levels. He also brought issues such as the Iranian nuclear issue, the situation in Iraq, the political developments in Libya, Lebanon, and elsewhere, saying that Italy would play its part as a nation as well as the leaders of NATO in its Presidency starting next May.

On the Palestinian cause, the President affirmed that it was paramount to seek the two states solution between Palestine and the Zionist entity, implementing just decision to rid the region from the source of ongoing tension. Meanwhile, Kuwait's Ambassador to Italy Sheikh Azzam Mubarak Al-Sabah attended the event. He said that the MED 2021 was an event of great importance, encouraging cooperation amongst participating states. MED 2021 will focus during its activities on joint security and welfare, handling of immigration, civil society and culture development in addition to issues connected with economy, conflicts, and sustainable development. - KUNA