how Morocco uses migratory weapons

Emigrants represent a significant financial windfall for Morocco, which is Africa’s second supplier but a formidable weapon in the kingdom’s hands.

In 2023, Moroccans living abroad (MREs) transferred more than $11.5 billion to the kingdom.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has just published its report on the state of migration in the world for 2024. It appears that in 2020 the world had 281 million migrants (3.6% of the world’s population), almost double the number in 1990 and three times more than in 1970. In Africa, Egypt and Morocco are the leading suppliers of migrants. Algeria is in 6th position.

In the world, India and Mexico rank first and second among the countries of origin of migrants with 17.7 million and 11 million respectively. Russia, China and Bangladesh follow.

In Africa, Egypt leads with 3.28 million (3.4% of the population). Morocco is the second largest source of migrants on the continent with 3.25 million, representing more than 5% of the kingdom’s population, which does not appear in the Top 20 countries receiving immigrants in Africa, a ranking dominated by ‘South Africa’.

The leading country for migrants in the world is the United States of America, which hosted 43.4 million migrants in 2020, followed by Germany (14.22 million) and Saudi Arabia (13 million). France is only seventh with 8.09 million, just behind the United Arab Emirates (8.4 million).

Migration from Africa: Algeria in 6th position

The main flows are those from Mexico to the United States, from Syria to Turkey, from Ukraine to Russia (and vice versa) and from India to the United Arab Emirates. The destination Algeria – France is only 19th in the ranking.

The report also reveals the contribution of migrants to the economy of the country of origin through remittances.

IOM emphasizes that migration is a driver of human development and can create significant benefits for migrants, their families and countries of origin.

What do they earn abroad? “perhaps several times more than what they could earn doing the same jobs in their own countries”we read in the report.

Migrants’ international remittances increased from $128 billion in 2000 to $831 billion in 2022. “from afar” official development assistance and foreign direct investment in certain countries.

The main recipients of migrants’ remittances are India with more than 83 billion dollars, China (59 billion) and Mexico (42 billion). With 29 billion dollars sent by its expatriates, Egypt is the first recipient in Africa.

For Morocco, according to the report, it is in the top 20 countries receiving international remittances in the world. In 2022, it would receive more than $11 billion, or 8% of its GDP ($130 billion), a third of which came from France (32%), according to the report.

Transfers from MRE, which are crucial for Moroccan households in a country where the unemployment rate exceeds 13%, also represent 27% of Morocco’s total exports in 2022 (nearly $40 billion).

In 2023, transfers from Moroccans living abroad (MREs) increased by 4% compared to 2022 to reach 115.15 billion dirhams ($11.5 billion) compared to 110 billion dirhams, according to the Royal Office of foreign exchange affairs.

In addition to transferring money in hard currency, Morocco uses its diaspora abroad to extort migration blackmail from Spain, its cultural influence, monopolizes Algerian or common heritage in the Maghreb, tries to control mosques in its country of residence to emphasize its diplomatic influence…

In May 2021, Morocco dropped a real migration bomb on the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. On May 17 this year, more than 8,000 Moroccans swam to the city of Ceuta, in the context of a serious diplomatic crisis between Rabat and Madrid.

Less than a year later, the Spanish government relented, radically changing its position on the Western Sahara conflict. Madrid joined the Moroccan positions, which angered Algeria. Meanwhile, the European Parliament accused Morocco of migrant blackmail against Spain.

“No one can intimidate or blackmail the European Union […] on the topic of migration »said Vice President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas.

MREs, a political and economic strike force for Morocco

In recent years, numerous scandals have erupted due to the involvement of Moroccan citizens in cases of corruption and espionage for the benefit of their country in Europe, especially in France and Belgium.

In addition, Moroccans abroad are always ready to fight with Algerians on cultural issues. Sometimes they perform actions on the field.

During the Portes de Versailles fair in Paris (May 1-12), Moroccans harassed the Algerian dressmaker Lina Boussahi, who was exhibiting kaftans. They even submitted a request to the management of the fair to request the removal of this traditional costume, which they consider to be part of their cultural heritage.

Without success. The affair grew and required the intervention of the Algerian embassy in Paris to suppress the Moroccans, and the administration of the Paris Fair did not relent. This is not Galeries Lafayette de Rosny 2 in the Paris region.

The famous French brand had to close the area dedicated to the Maghreb after Moroccan complaints against the Algerian chef Shahrazade who presented a culinary plan that Moroccans consider part of their cuisine.

“All Moroccans abroad are subject to the same system that is in force in Morocco. Mahzen, which is a kind of parallel administration, has complete control over them,” explains the specialist for this country.

According to official data, 10% of the Moroccan population (37 million in 2022) live abroad. These MREs therefore represent a significant financial income for the Kingdom and play an important role in Moroccan soft power abroad, especially in France.