The Moroccan Diaspora: A Factor to Consider in Governmental Policy Making

Morocco has always been a centre of migration. For centuries it has hosted different peoples, been crossed by migration flows, and sent its own nationals into the world. Nowadays it is as much a country of destination as it is a country of transit or origin.

Morocco’s large diaspora, however, has a particular power to shape the future of the Maghreb country. It is considerably estimated to comprise up to 15% of the population with approximately 5 million Moroccans and their immediate descendants living abroad. The diaspora has an undeniable impact on the country’s economic performance and social dynamics.

The overwhelming majority of Moroccan expats are living in Europe. France with 33%, Spain with 26%, and Italy with 16% are the most important host countries. In Belgium, the Moroccan population is the largest percentage-wise, with 4% of Belgium’s population having Moroccan dual-citizenship. While 5% of Moroccan expats live in distant North America, regionally only 6% live in other MENA countries.

This social phenomenon contributes in major ways to Morocco’s economic development. As the Policy Centre for the New South puts it, “Moroccan migrants ease the country’s chronic unemployment problems, invest in the home country, and typically visit Morocco as tourists.” In 2018, Moroccans abroad sent home remittances worth 6% of the national GDP. In addition to that, migrants usually retain close links with Morocco, and help in less direct ways to forge trade and third-party investment links between Morocco and their host countries.

A 2016 Oxford Business Group Report explains: “Morocco’s large diaspora has changed considerably since the Second World War when blue-collar workers moved to Europe to help rebuild. Indeed, today the population of Moroccans living abroad increasingly comprises highly educated young professionals.” Therefore, the diaspora members are now increasingly seen by experts as drivers of innovation, employment, and economic growth.

Some stakeholders have expressed concerns that the country is currently losing its best and brightest to brain drain, considering recent WIPO Reports that just 2.39% of Moroccan emigrant inventors return home to file patent applications.

However, the organization stated as well: “Moroccan talent abroad is contributing to global innovation and there is significant scope to harness the scientific, creative, and innovation potential of Moroccans living abroad to boost Morocco’s innovation goals.”

As Moroccan expats do enjoy high-quality public services and standards of living abroad, the current return trends remain circular and not permanent. This however does not necessarily have to be considered a downfall for Morocco but can be used in policy-making, if accepted and transformed to the benefit of the country.

Instead of only prioritizing the mobilization of expatriate human and financial capital for Moroccan development interests, the social protection of nationals abroad could take a more central position in policy making. Acknowledging the rights of Moroccan expats and their dual identity is crucial in harnessing their innovation potential and expertise.

The Moroccan government could gain huge human capital by widening its 2014 National Strategy for Moroccans Living Abroad and its approach to Article 16 of the Moroccan Constitution regulating citizens resident abroad.

As currently, many diaspora members criticize the Moroccan governments’ utilitarian policy-making approach, according to Rilke Mahieu, expert from the University of Antwerp, one should clarify who needs to take care of whom — not only the diaspora of the homeland but the homeland of the diaspora as well.

It is crucial to hear out these voices and give representation to everyone who might partially lose their Moroccan identity if not met with empathy and openness. By giving out opportunities to sit in consultative government councils, strengthen shared expertise initiatives, and support cooperation initiatives the government could send a clear signal to its 5 million nationals living overseas.

Morocco should ensure the safety and fair treatment of their nationals abroad in order to promote the circular migration of its citizens further. However, during the Covid pandemic, many expats reported, that they were not being protected enough by their country of origin. With a complete entry ban during lockdown, many could not enter their home country for several months, having no contact to family members or possibilities to check on their businesses. Many believe Moroccan consular services were limited. Being a globally connected and open country, Morocco could have invested in high-quality Covid testing and quarantine possibilities for those nationals who need to return, instead of a complete ban.

According to expats, the Moroccan consular services, in general, are numerous but lack quality, have long waiting lines and have unequal treatment due to favoritism. Equally diaspora institutions are numerous, with overlapping competencies. Currently, distrust in those institutions is still common amongst expats, which evaluated them as inefficient, non-transparent and undemocratic.

Additionally problematic is it, that nationals residing abroad cannot vote if they are not present in person at the time of the elections. Many do not have enough time or means to travel just for voting and feel therefore left out of national decision-making. This deprives them of fundamental democratic rights and leads to detachment of the country of origin. Remote voting systems could enhance government legitimacy and foster continuous connection between diaspora and home country.

Another improvement must be made in protecting social rights of diaspora members, especially the portability of pensions and social security has a long way to go. According to Rilke Mahieu, “The primary tools for expatriate nationals’ social protection are a series of Bilateral Social Security Conventions that Morocco negotiated with top destination countries, including France, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands.” The Gulf countries, the USA and Italy currently have no such agreement however and “there are a few programs offering support to particular categories of vulnerable groups such as elderly, disadvantaged youth or sick persons.”

Finally, the importance of fostering cultural exchange and connection with the country of origin should never be underestimated. Diaspora members engage more with Morocco the more connected they feel to their origins. New policy strategies, such as providing the children of diaspora with further cultural and academic exchange opportunities, as shown well by the “13th Moroccan region initiative”, can have huge impacts in integrating those nationals who live abroad back into society.

One can see that Morocco needs to guarantee more extensive democratic and social rights to its diaspora, include them increasingly into national decision making, and conclude updated worker-mobility agreements with more countries to facilitate the portability of pensions and social security. To foster their full potential, both Morocco and its diaspora have to support and strengthen each other respectively to finally honour and value this demographic characteristic of the Maghreb country as it deserves to be.