Rabat – The number of foreign prisoners in Moroccan prisons stood at 1,132 as of 2021, according to the Moroccan Observatory of Prisons (OMP).
The inmates’ tally included 69 women from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas, OMP said on Friday in an annual report on the state of Moroccan prisons.
Regarding countries with the largest groups of inmates, the report pointed out that 122 of the foreign inmates were Nigerian nationals, while the number of European nationals was set at 195.
European inmates included 73 Spanish nationals and 70 French nationals. Meanwhile, there were 133 inmates from Arab countries, with 55 prisoners from Algeria, the report notes.
Like Moroccan prisoners, foreign inmates have access to in-prison vocational training, social assistance, or sports activities depending on their individual inclinations, OMP reported.
The report further specified that non-Arabic-speaking foreigners in Moroccan prisons receive courses in Arabic to facilitate their integration into the internal environment.
Last year, the OMP published a guide for foreign prisoners in Morocco, saying that the document was part of efforts to protect inmates’ fundamental rights, including by helping them in accessing humanitarian aid.
The guide for foreign prisoners in Morocco was drafted with the aim to inform and educate foreign prisoners on their rights and their situation of incarceration, President of the OMP, Abdellatif Reffouh, explained.
The guide also aims to facilitate foreigners’ integration within the prison and with the outside environment, Reffouh added, saying it ensures foreign inmates have access to information.
Published annually, the OMP report tracks the situation in Moroccan prisons and their commitment to honoring the international conventions Morocco has signed with respect to the humane treatment of inmates.
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