Rabat – Since the launch of the Marhaba 2017 operation, the number of Moroccans Living Abroad (MRE) having returned to Morocco via various transit points has reached 747,149, an increase of 10.5 percent compared to the same period of 2016.
Abdelkrim Benatiq, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in charge of Moroccans residing abroad and immigration affairs, presented Thursday in Rabat the data and measures taken for the process of Marhaba 2017 operation.
According to Benatiq, 17 reception centers have been set up inside and outside Morocco. The minister also reported on MRE transfers, noting that they amounted to MAD 24.3 billion between January and May 2017 alone, and a total of MAD 62 billion in 2016. Last year, 17 percent of the MREs returned to Morocco by land, 41 percent by sea and 41 percent by air.
“[The] Marhaba 2017 operation is taking place within the framework of multi-level coordination, including that of the Inter-ministerial Committee for MRE Affairs under the chairmanship of the Head of Government, which held its last meeting on May 26,” noted Benatiq.
In this respect, the minister noted that more than 5 million Moroccans are settled abroad, nearly half of which travel to Morocco each year. Seventy percent are under 45 years of age and 20 percent are born in the countries of the residence.
The minister also stated that immediate measures have been taken regarding “safety, security, communication, legal and administrative support and cultural development,” as well as the development of investments by Moroccans of the world and the creation of a virtual region called “Region 13” aimed at facilitating the integration of Moroccan entrepreneurs of the world (MeM) into the Moroccan economy in partnership with the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM).
