Rabat – A new study by Morocco’s High Commission for Planning (HCP) indicates that over half of refugees arriving in Morocco are of Syrian origin.
The study covers migration trends in Morocco and was conducted in the first quarter of 2021; it surveyed approximately 3,000 migrants, split along 2,200 irregular migrants and 800 refugees or asylum seekers.
HCP found that a significant portion of all refugees arriving in Morocco, namely 54.4%, is of Syrian origin. Yemenis are the second most represented demographic among refugees (12.3%), then come Central Africans who make up 9.9% of all asylum seekers, and finally Ivorians ( 4.5%).
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Of both irregular and regularized migrants in Morocco, the biggest group comes from Cote d’Ivorie, who represent about 16.7% of migrants arriving in Morocco. Next come migrants from Senegal, who stand at 15.9%, followed by 12.2% from Guinea, 10.1% from the democratic Republic of Congo, 8.7% from Cameroon, 4.9% from Mali, 2.3% percent from the Central African Republic, and the rest, approximately 15.1%, come from other African countries.
About 94.2% have come to the North African country for the first time, the report found. HCP also highlighted that 27.3% of all migrants arriving in Morocco have a higher level of education.
Financial cost of migration
On average, migrants can invest up to $1,940 (MAD 17,304) to arrive in Morocco. Syrians are paying the highest fees, averaging at $3,760 (MAD 33,537); Yemenis pay the second-highest fees for the journey to Morocco, averaging $2,280 (MAD 20,336), while the citizens of the Democratic Republic of the Congo pay the third-highest fees with $2,020 (MAD 18,017).
The cost remains relatively low for other countries, with Senegalese migrants paying about $920 (MAD 8,206), while Guineans pay on average $1,040 (MAD 9,276).
Approximately a third (39.1%) of all migrants in Morocco left their country to flee from war, insecurity, and persecution. Meanwhile, 36.7% of the migrants noted financial insecurity as the main reason they left their countries.
About 14.1% of migrants mentioned the quest for higher education or specialized training as their reason for leaving their countries, while approximately 4.7%migrants listed joining their family as the reason they left their home country.
