Morocco does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons, according to the United States Department of State. In its 2024 report on the subject, it revealed that the Moroccan government has made significant efforts to eliminate human trafficking compared to previous years, obtaining a Tier 2 position.
These efforts include “increasing prosecutions and implementing the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), which is a framework for identifying victims of human trafficking or modern slavery and ensuring they receive appropriate support “. They also include “approving and publishing a victim identification guide, establishing a specific trafficking hotline, and coordinating with NGOs and international organizations to begin establishing specialized shelters for the victims”.
Despite progress and implementation of the guidelines, the Moroccan government continues to fall short of minimum standards in several key areas. The U.S. State Department found in its report that specialized shelters and services for trafficking victims remained inadequate. The Moroccan government “did not report providing financial or in-kind support to civil society organizations providing services to victims.”
Additionally, the report argues that due to “uneven application of new identification and referral procedures,” Morocco “inconsistently referred identified victims to shelters and services.”
Identification of victims of trafficking
Additionally, Moroccan authorities “rarely identified or failed to provide services to foreign victims of trafficking,” despite the high risks for migrants and refugees in the kingdom.
“The lack of consistent proactive screening and identification measures has left certain populations, such as undocumented migrants, vulnerable to inappropriate sanctions by authorities solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of trafficking, including immigration violations.”
Trafficking in Persons Report 2024
Additionally, the US State Department states in its report that Morocco’s national anti-trafficking commission “lacked adequate resources and personnel to effectively coordinate the government’s efforts to combat trafficking.”
In its report, the United States listed a series of recommendations to help Morocco better combat human trafficking. It urged the country to implement procedures to proactively identify trafficking victims, particularly among vulnerable populations such as undocumented migrants. In the report, it recommended increasing efforts to screen for trafficking among these populations as well.
They also call on Morocco to implement a multidimensional approach. This includes strengthening laws and enforcement, providing comprehensive support services for victims, and raising public awareness. Specifically, resources should be directed toward training authorities, strengthening victim protection programs, and improving data collection to better target these crimes.
