House of Representatives Sets Amazigh as Condition to Obtain Moroccan Citizenship

Rabat – Morocco’s House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill that would set a level of “adequate knowledge” of Amazigh as a condition for obtaining Moroccan citizenship.

The bill supplements Article 11 of Dahir no. 1.58.250 and aims to “conform” it to the Moroccan constitution which made Amazigh an official language of the country, alongside Arabic.

The decision comes “in order to give Amazigh its true constitutional meaning and ensure that the law complies with the constitution’s new orientation.”

As per the bill, “adequate knowledge of Arabic and Amazigh,” or knowledge of one of them, would become a condition for naturalization.

The bill comes shortly after Amazigh people across Morocco and North Africa celebrated Yennayer, the Amazigh new year. The celebrations came amid continuing calls from activists to Morocco’s government to recognize the language and Amazigh celebrations.

Aziz Akhannouch’s government pledged, upon being elected in 2021, to prioritize the officialization of the Amazigh language in the country’s government and administrations.

Earlier this, Morocco’s government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas detailed the government’s plan to officialize the language, including a number of programs to support it in public administrations.

Despite those steps, some activists still see the government’s efforts as lacking, calling especially for the recognition of holidays such as Yennayer.