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Join on Telegram Rabat – For years, and in almost every speech, King Mohammed VI has been renewing his commitment to the Moroccan diaspora, instructing the government to enhance efforts in supporting their projects and facilitating administrative procedures to facilitate and accompany their business ventures in their homeland.
Overview of royal efforts
The efforts include various reforms and initiatives seeking to create a more favorable environment for Moroccans residing abroad to invest in Morocco.
This includes offering direct housing aid for diaspora members. The direct aid aims to make housing more accessible for Moroccans both within and outside the country by providing direct subsidies to first-time homeowners.
In his speech commemorating the 69th anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People in 2022, King Mohammed VI thanked the Moroccan diaspora for their unwavering support for Morocco’s economy and the reforms the country has undertaken in recent years.
He also urged them to take advantage of the investment opportunities available in Morocco.
“I call once again on Moroccan youth and project holders residing abroad to make the most of the numerous investment opportunities in Morocco, as well as the incentives and guarantees offered by the new investment charger,” the King said.
The monarch stressed that the North African country continues to make significant efforts to benefit the diaspora, but acknowledged that these efforts are not enough.
“Regrettably, many members of our expatriate community are still facing a number of hurdles and difficulties with regard to administrative matters or the launch of their project. These issues must be addressed,” the monarch said.
Morocco has a diaspora community of over five million, dispatched across the world.
This sizable diaspora positions Morocco as the second largest recipient of remittances in the MENA region after Egypt.
Diaspora remittances to the North African kingdom reached approximately $5.6 billion by the end of June 2023.
The number represents a significant increase compared to the $4.9 billion recorded in the same period last year.
Diaspora remittances strength
Economist and Director of the Government Work Observatory Mohammed Jadri has expressed satisfaction with royal instructions to enhance services employed to facilitate diaspora administrative journeys.
The economist told Morocco World News (MWN) on Monday that King Mohammed VI’s policy toward the diaspora has been significant.
“I believe the monarch places special emphasis on the Moroccan diaspora through various initiatives, such as the Mohammed V Foundation, which organizes reception campaigns for Moroccans residing abroad and facilitates their return to their home country as part of the Marhaba operation,” Jadri said.
Operation Marhaba is an annual initiative that manages the return and transit of at least three million Moroccans who come to spend their holidays in their homeland.
Running from June to September, the operation ensures a smooth and welcoming experience for the diaspora as well as their return to their countries of residence upon holiday conclusion.
“Consular services and administration highlight Morocco’s special attention to its diaspora, encouraging them to invest in the North African country,” Jadri said.
Last week, Morocco’s Ministry of National Territorial Planning launched a national campaign to attract its diaspora to benefit from the country’s direct housing aid program.
“During this national campaign, we are mobilized through all the components of the ministry to listen to the MREs [Moroccans residing abroad] and offer them personalized support and technical and administrative assistance to accelerate the processing of their files in the best conditions and time frames,” Minister of Urban Planning Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri said.
A mobile caravan will tour 23 cities as part of the campaign. Reception areas will be set up at border points.
According to data from the ministry, Moroccans residing abroad account for 21% of the applications recorded via a digital platform dedicated to the direct housing aid program and 23% of the benefits as of July 23.
Despite this significant number, many officials and economists see the diaspora’s contribution to the real estate sector as insufficient.
In October 2022, Minister Delegate of Investments Mohcine Jazouli said that only 10% of money transferred from the diaspora has gone to investment in 2021.
Jadri echoed the same concerns, noting the government’s need to enhance administrative procedures to further succeed in attracting the diaspora’s investments in real estate.
“Morocco still needs to enhance facilitating measures to encourage the diaspora to focus on investing at home,” Jadri argued. “Currently, their remittances are primarily used for family aid and savings, with only 10% going into real estate investments in Morocco.”
He stressed the need to leverage the situation and potentially turn half of diaspora savings into investments in Morocco for better job growth and job creation.
“More efforts are needed to encourage them to invest in Morocco, including simplifying administrative procedures and addressing issues of unfair competitiveness,” Jadri added.
Highlighting the significant positive shift in remittances, Jadri stressed that money transfers doubled from MAD 60 billion (approximately $6 billion) in 2019 to MAD 120 billion ($12.17 billion) in 2023.
This marks an increase of 12 billion within this period, Jadri added, stressing that Morocco is only surpassed by Egypt in North Africa in terms of remittances, considering that the country’s population is more than double that of Morocco’s.
Diaspora expertise
In addition to encouraging investment, the North African country has been appealing to members of its diaspora and those seeking opportunities abroad to explore prospects at home.
In December 2022 and during similar remarks made frequently, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed how the Moroccan diaspora plays a critical role in the country’s development at different levels.
He further stressed the country’s commitment to continue with efforts aimed at enabling Morocco to benefit from the expertise of its diaspora.
Morocco faces serious challenges, particularly rain drain hitting key and vital sectors.
Read Also: Morocco Maintains Position as Second Largest Remittance Recipient in MENA Region
Minister of Economic Inclusion Younes Sekkouri said in October 2022 that nearly 27,000 Moroccans have left the country to work abroad through legal channels in the same year.
France recruits the largest number of workers, with approximately 15,000, followed by Spain which recruited 12,000. Qatar, Canada, Germany, and Saudi Arabia also recruited hundreds of workers.
The workers are employed across a variety of fields, including agriculture, aviation, hospitality, public sector work, mining, distribution, and health care.
Recent data shared by the Ministry of Health in January of 2024 shows that Morocco loses 600 doctors who travel abroad annually in search of better opportunities.
A 2023 report from The National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) also expressed concerns about Moroccan brain drain. In contrast with 23,000 doctors working in Morocco, the report noted, up to 14,000 others have left the country to work abroad.
