Gallup: Morocco Would Lose 29% of Youth in Case of Free Migration

Rabat – As UN members adopted the Global Migration Compact in Marrakech on Monday, Gallup released a new Potential Net Migration Index (PNMI) investigating what it would be like if everyone were free to move to whichever country they wanted, permanently.

Gallup, an American public opinion poll company, interviewed nearly 500,000 adults in 152 countries between 2015 and 2017.

Although the new index did not predict “migration patterns,” it did give an idea of potential net gains or losses, what sort of people each listed country attracts, and how much a country’s population would change in case of free migration.

The index did not report “Potential Net Brain Gain … for countries with a sample size of less than 200.”

Gallup had access to a sample of fewer than 200 people in Morocco.

In the case of other Maghreb countries besides Morocco, Algeria would lose 31 of its adult population, 44 percent of its youth aged 15-29, and 40 percent of its “brains.”

Tunisia would lose up to 27 percent of its adult population, 30 percent of its youth, and 44 percent of its brains.

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Mauritania would lose 25 percent of its adult population and 33 percent of its youth.

Apart from Libya, Morocco had low numbers regionally. Morocco would lose 19 percent of its adult population and 29 percent of its youth population.

Libya would lose 16 percent of its adult population, 19 percent of its young people, and 25 percent of its brains.

Most desired countries for migration worldwide

The top 10 desired countries by potential migrants worldwide are the US, Canada, Germany, France, Australia, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Japan, and Italy.

The other desired countries are Switzerland, the UAE, Singapore, Sweden, China, New Zealand, Russia, the Netherlands, South Africa, Brazil, and Turkey.

The US population would boom if migration were free. A total of 158 million adults would move to the country. Canada’s and Australia’s populations would more than double.

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Brain drain in Morocco

According to an April study by ReKrute, 91 percent of Moroccan professionals aged 35 and younger said they wanted to move abroad in search of better work conditions and quality of life, which includes health care and comfort.

Young, well-trained Moroccans set their sights on European countries.

Canada, which attracts 37 percent of Moroccan professionals, is the hottest destination, not only for Moroccans but for many people in the world, according to the report.

Moroccan physicians and doctors, in particular, experience tough working conditions. They are underpaid and under-equipped, which prompts them to emigrate.

Irregular migration in Morocco

According to a survey by Moroccan marketing agency Sunergia and news outlet L’economiste released in November, some 59 percent of youth aged 15-24 said they would not hesitate to migrate irregularly.

Many Moroccan migrants are persistent in trying to leave the country, mostly risking the western Mediterranean route by boat. At the same time, the government strives to curb irregular migration by land and sea toward Europe.

Amid the EU migration crisis, over 160 countries approved the Global Compact on Migration (CGM) Monday in Marrakech.

Describing the Global Compact, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that it is a “roadmap to prevent suffering and chaos” experienced by migrants.

The compact aims “to better manage international migration, address its challenges, and strengthen migrants’ rights while contributing to sustainable development.”