Rabat- Nearly 27,000 Moroccans have left the country to work abroad through legal channels so far in 2022, announced Morocco’s Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills Younes Sekkouri.
Sekkouri made the statement on Monday, October 17, answering a question that was posed during a parliament session.
The Moroccan minister noted that 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.
The minister added that the plan for protecting the rights of Moroccan workers abroad is expected to be completed in December.
He continued to say that “the government intends to implement agreements with several countries to protect Moroccan workers’ rights.”
Sekkouri emphasized that the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills (ANAPEC) is the main portal enabling Moroccans to leave the country.
Morocco and Portugal have also signed an agreement to facilitate legal and safe migration flows on January 12.
According to the Portuguese Government’s official website, the agreement creates a legal framework for Moroccans to enter Portugal to perform paid work.
Portugal, facing a severe labor shortage, turned to Morocco on September 28 to recruit 400 agricultural workers ahead of the harvest season.
Sekkouri hailed the partnership as part of a “new generation” of agreements for “decent employment” that fully upheld workers’ rights.
On September 16, Spain also announced plans to recruit 11,000 Moroccan women for the upcoming harvest season.
