Emigrants represent a significant financial windfall for Morocco, which is the second largest African supplier, but a formidable weapon in the hands of the kingdom.
In 2023, Moroccans living abroad (MRE) transferred more than 11.5 billion dollars to the kingdom.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has just published its 2024 report on the state of migration in the world. It appears that in 2020, the world had 281 million migrants (3.6% of the world population), almost double compared to 1990 and three times more than in 1970. In Africa, Egypt and Morocco are the leading providers of migrants. Algeria is in 6th position.
In the world, India and Mexico occupy the first and second place respectively among the countries of origin of migrants with 17.7 million and 11 million respectively. They are followed by Russia, China and Bangladesh.
In Africa, Egypt leads with 3.28 million (3.4% of its population). Morocco is the second largest Source of migrants on the continent with 3.25 million, which represents 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 destination country for migrants in the world is the United States, 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 Algeria – France destination is only 19th in the ranking.
The report also reveals the contribution of migrants to the economy of their country of origin through remittances.
IOM emphasizes that migration is a driver of human development and can generate significant benefits for migrants, their families and their countries of origin.
What they earn abroad “may be several times higher than what they could earn doing the same jobs in their countries”we read in the report.
International remittances from migrants have increased from $128 billion in 2000 to $831 billion in 2022. They exceed ” from afar “ official development assistance and foreign direct investment in certain countries.
The main recipients of migrant 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, it appears, according to the report, in the Top 20 recipient countries of international remittances in the world. It would have received more than $11 billion in 2022, or 8% of its GDP ($130 billion) and a third of which came from France (32%), according to the report.
Transfers from MREs, which are crucial for Moroccan households in a country where the unemployment rate exceeds 13%, also represent 27% of total Moroccan exports in 2022 (nearly 40 billion dollars).
In 2023, transfers from Moroccans living abroad (MRE) increased by 4% compared to 2022 to reach 115.15 billion dirhams ($11.5 billion) compared to 110 billion dirhams, according to figures from the Kingdom’s Foreign Exchange Office.
In addition to money transfers in hard currencies, Morocco uses its diaspora abroad to exercise migratory blackmail on Spain, its cultural influence, monopolize Algerian or common heritage in the Maghreb, try to control the mosques of country of his residence to accentuate his diplomatic influence…
In May 2021, Morocco dropped a real migratory bomb on the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. On May 17 of this year, more than 8,000 Moroccans swam to the city of Ceuta, in a context of serious diplomatic crisis between Rabat and Madrid.
Less than a year later, the Spanish government gave in, radically changing its position on the conflict in Western Sahara. Madrid aligned itself with Moroccan positions, which angered Algiers. In the meantime, the European Parliament has accused Morocco of migratory blackmail against Spain.
“No one can intimidate or blackmail the European Union […] on the theme of migration »declared the Vice-President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas.
MREs, a political and economic strike force for Morocco
Numerous scandals have erupted in recent years over the involvement of Moroccan nationals in cases of corruption and espionage for the benefit of their country in Europe, particularly in France and Belgium.
In addition, Moroccans abroad are always ready to fight with Algerians on issues related to culture. Sometimes they carry out actions on the ground.
During the Paris Portes de Versailles Fair (May 1 – 12), Moroccans harassed the Algerian seamstress, Lina Boussahi, who exhibited caftans. They even filed a request with the Fair administration to request the removal of this traditional outfit 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 push back the Moroccans, and the management of the Paris Fair did not give in. These are not Galeries Lafayette de Rosny 2 in the Paris region.
The famous French brand had to close the space dedicated to the Maghreb after Moroccan complaints against Algerian chef Shahrazade who presented a culinary plan that Moroccans consider as part of their cuisine.
“All Moroccans abroad are subject to the same system in force in Morocco. The Makhzen, which is a sort of parallel administration, exercises total control over them,” explains a specialist in this country.
According to official figures, 10% of the Moroccan population (37 million in 2022) lives abroad. These MREs therefore represent a significant financial windfall for the Kingdom and play an important role in Moroccan soft-power abroad, particularly in France.
