Responses to irregular migration in Morocco: Promising changes, persisting challenges

Article

The aim of this short briefing paper is to set the scene by outlining the prevailing legal, policy and practical response to irregular migration in Morocco, including the governmental response, EU and international responses, and how some gaps are being filled by civil society.

In particular, this briefing discusses how the changing pattern of sub-Saharan migration in Morocco has led to a gradual shift in governmental and civil responses from dealing with irregular migration on a 'transit' basis to considering it on a semi-permanent or even permanent basis.

The Maghreb (particularly Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia) has historically been viewed as a source of emigration, but significant attention more recently has been devoted to the region as a transit zone for migrants from elsewhere whose ultimate destination is the European Union.

However, periods of migration described as 'transit' have been getting longer and longer, and anecdotal evidence that migrants are reaching Morocco with the intention of staying is increasing. Even in small numbers, irregular immigration is starting to change Morocco. Along the way, it is posing challenges to policymakers, requiring developments in the rights accorded even to those who lack proper documentation and immigration status.

This paper supports a seminar in Rabat focusing on improving civil society organisations' strategies to support irregular migrants in Morocco, organised by IPPR together with its Moroccan partner CCME and Brussels-based partner PICUM.

Related items

  1. Street scene in financial district, London

    Rule of the market: How to lower UK borrowing costs

    The UK is paying a premium on its borrowing costs that ‘economic fundamentals’, such as the sustainability of its public finances, cannot fully explain. 
  2. A mother and child from behind looking out of a window

    Restoring security: Understanding the effects of removing the two-child limit across the UK

    The government’s decision to lift the two-child limit marks one of the most significant changes to the social security system in a decade.
  3. A group of healthcare professionals sitting in a staff common room in a hospital in Newcastle

    Building a healthier, wealthier Britain: Launching the IPPR Centre for Health and Prosperity

    Following the success of our Commission on Health and Prosperity, IPPR is excited to launch the Centre for Health and Prosperity.