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Rabat – A total of 258,939 Moroccans were registered with the social security administration in Spain by the end of January.
The Spanish Ministry of Integration and Migration shared its latest statistics about foreign communities in Spain, showing that Moroccans are topping the list of foreign communities contributing to Spain’s social security. Following Moroccans is Spain’s Chinese community (97,610).
The total number of foreigners affiliated to Spanish social security reached 2,044,669 people by January, representing a decrease of 1.6% compared to December.
The ministry attributed the decline to COVID-19 crisis.
Out of all foreign workers contributing to the country’s social security, over 1,307,637 people are from non-EU countries and 737,032 are from EU states.
Moroccans continue to secure a position as the largest foreign community in Spain.
Recent data show that 771,683 Moroccans were legally established in Spain until July 1, 2020. The number represents an increase of 1.4% or +10,946 people compared to January 1 of the same year.
Moroccan communities abroad are expanding remarkably. Morocco’s government estimates the number of Moroccans living abroad at over five million.
The diaspora significantly contributes to Morocco’s economy through remittances.
Money transfers from Moroccans living abroad to their families in Morocco reached MAD 61.91 billion ($7.05 billion) at the end of November 2020.
Read Also: Morocco’s Diaspora Remittances Reached $7.54 Billion in 2020
The number shows a significant increase compared to a year earlier, suggesting that Moroccans’ remittances went up despite the COVID-19 crisis.
Around 10% of the remittances from Morocco’s diaspora are directed to investments.
Every year, Morocco receives over 2 million of its diaspora during summer vacation as part of the “Marhaba operation” in charge of facilitating transit of Moroccans living abroad.
However, the 2020 summer vacation witnessed special circumstances due to COVID-19 — Morocco closed its borders in March 2020 to curb the spread of the virus.
The country eased its lockdown measures in July. It notably opened its borders for Moroccans living abroad, tourists who have hotel reservations, and business operators who have invitations from Moroccan companies.
People wishing to visit Morocco should, however, present a negative PCR test taken in 72 hours before departure.
