Rabat – A group of Moroccans with dual nationality published a manifesto, on September 24, rejecting their Moroccan nationality and requesting the support of the Dutch government in cutting ties with Morocco.
The first lines of the manifesto read, “we, Dutch citizens with dual nationality, the Moroccan nationality, which we have not freely chosen, turn to Dutch society and the Dutch government to help us get rid of the fear and lack of freedom inevitably linked to our second nationality.”
The signatories argued that, after living for 50 years in the Netherlands, they “want full Dutch citizenship, both in the Netherlands and abroad.”
They expressed their wish to be free in choosing dual nationality and “to not be obliged by a foreign power to be a lifelong national.”
The manifesto further noted that, since the 1970s, Morocco has “created a range of government institutions to spy on, intimidate, recruit, and corrupt Moroccans in the Netherlands.”
According to the manifesto, such institutions include the advisory board of King Mohammed VI (CCME), the Ministry of ‘Moroccans Abroad’, and the Hassan II Foundation for Moroccans Abroad.
The signatories further explained that the Moroccan state’s “ultimate goal” is to gain power and influence in Europe and to ensure a constant flow of money from the country’s diaspora.
“By placing the Moroccan law above the Dutch law, the Netherlands now allows nearly 400,000 of its citizens to remain under Morocco’s interference, control, and laws,” added the signatories.
They stated that “the Dutch nationality of [Moroccan] citizens … turns out to be worthless” as they “do not feel free to openly express their opinions on freedom, human rights violations, and the failing rule of law in Morocco.”
The manifesto signatories include Laila Ezzeroili (publicist), Asis Aynan (writer), Mohand Abttoy (artist), and Abdelhafid Akallouch (journalist).
The manifesto concluded with the citizens’ “hope that the Netherlands learns from our negative experiences with a compulsory second nationality and that foreign powers such as Morocco no longer hold any power over its citizens.”
