The survey might raise eyebrows among Moroccans, especially as many surveys have consistently found in recent years that most Moroccans want to leave their country.
Rabat – An increasing number of Moroccans residing abroad are harboring medium to long-term goals of “returning” to settle down in the North African country, a recent survey has found.
Despite persisting concerns about issues such as social security and employment prospects, the majority of Moroccans living abroad are increasingly perceiving Morocco in a positive light, the survey suggested.
The findings, from a recent survey by Rekrute, an e-recruitment website solidly present in Morocco (with 1.5 million registered executive profiles), indicates that 74% of Moroccans want “to come back home” and explore their employment chances.
This comes amid reports of hearty reports for some developing sectors in the country, including the automotive and aeronautical sectors, among others. But the 74% Moroccans with plans of heading back home do not have the same reasons for wanting to settle back in Morocco.
According to Rekrute, 52% cited what sounded like a sense of patriotic responsibility, saying that, having accumulated relative wealth and professional experience in other, most developed countries, they feel a sense of responsibility to come back home “to contribute” to national development.
For others, making up 53% of the surveyed bunch, promises of more senior, high-profile professional careers in their chosen fields are the primary reasons behind their inclination to settle down in Morocco. Having acquired some coveted skills in Morocco’s economic ecosystem, they explained, moving back home may be the sounder decision.
While not exuding the same patriotism as the 52% who spoke about “contribution,” they also say they want to use their expertise and acquired skills in ways that might help the broad conversation about national prosperity. Meanwhile, 31% said they planned to launch their own businesses, feeling ready after years of working or studying abroad.
Beyond professional motivations, some (48%) said they wanted to be closer to family, while others (10%) linked their reasoning to the North African country’s improving living standards.
However, even as the majority of the surveyed expressed warm appreciation and love for Morocco, they are said to have repeatedly complained about some long-standing “obstacles” and that may discourage some from acting on their homecoming plans.
59% said that the country’s labor market is still uncertain and “unfavorable,” while 53% pointed out “social pressure,” a reference to the country’s pointed or socio-cultural conservatism, as a possible blocking stone standing in the way of their return plans.
Inevitably, 35% spoke about low salaries in Morocco. In the meantime, 48% mentioned “professional invisibility.” They feared that, even with their high-profile, prevent expertise in their professions, Moroccan employers or companies wouldn’t grant them the same value, appreciation, and financial compensation they are accorded in some other countries.
There was also an age component to the survey’s findings, with younger Moroccans mostly preferring to stay abroad while they acquire the skill sets and experience that may eventually convince them to return.
Rekrute’s survey might raise eyebrows among Moroccans, especially given that successive surveys by different bodies have consistently found in recent years that most Moroccans want to live their country due to harsh economic conditions.
Earlier this month, Morocco’s High Commission for Planning (HCP) established that one Moroccan in four wants to leave the country due to a combination of economic and social stress. Relatedly, there have also been reports of highly skilled Moroccans leaving the country for green pastures (higher salaries, social coverage, and better treatment) in more developed countries.
In recent months, meanwhile, Canada has been recurrently cited as the “favored destination” for highly skilled, sometimes French and English speaking Moroccans, leaving the country to settle down in the so-called Global North.
