Rabat – Morocco ranked as one of the key nationalities subject to expulsion orders from several European Union countries in the first quarter of 2024, according to recent reports from Eurostat and Schengen News.
The statistics reveal that Moroccans, alongside Algerians, made up a significant portion of those ordered to leave, each accounting for 7% of the total expulsions.
France and Germany, as leading EU member states, were at the forefront of issuing expulsion orders. France alone issued 34,190 directives for non-EU citizens to depart, followed closely by Germany with 15,400 similar orders.
The two countries were behind nearly half of all expulsion orders issued within the EU during this period.
Despite the overall decrease in expulsion orders by 2% compared to the previous quarter, the number of Moroccans and Algerians affected remained high.
Moroccan immigrants represent the second largest immigrant population in France, behind only Algerians. As of 2022, Moroccan immigrants in France numbered 836,400 people, according to INSEE data.
Meanwhile, second-generation Moroccan migrants number around 1 million.
Both communities also featured in the statistics of individuals returning to their home countries voluntarily, each representing 4% of the total returnees.
Eurostat data further indicates a 6% rise in the number of individuals who complied with expulsion orders by returning to another country, totaling 30,570 people.
While Morocco and Algeria have been prominently affected, other nationalities such as Turks, Syrians, and Georgians also received expulsion orders.
In addition to the increased number of repatriation orders, Moroccans are facing high rejection rates when applying for Schengen visas.
In 2023, Morocco found itself ranked second among African nations with the highest number of Schengen visa rejections, totaling 136,367 refusals, with the process costing applicants approximately MAD 117 million Moroccan (€10.9 million).
The staggering rejection rates, predominantly from France and Spain, have sparked widespread frustration and discontent among Moroccan citizens.
Professionals, artists, and even diplomats from Morocco have voiced their grievances over the stringent visa policies that have often denied them entry into Schengen Area countries.
The issue has been particularly contentious since France drastically reduced the number of visas granted to Moroccans by half in 2021, citing concerns over illegal Moroccan residents in France.
After nearly three years of ongoing controversy surrounding visa rejections, France announced in late 2023 its decision to lift restrictions on Moroccan nationals seeking Schengen visas.
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