Overview

In recent years, Morocco has become a traditional country of emigration, a country of transit to Europe, becoming a host to a growing number of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers mainly from sub-Saharan African countries. With tighter control measures in southern European border areas, these migrants find themselves stranded in Morocco for an indefinite period.

In this short introduction, we present some background. In the other section you can find useful Contacts.

In Morocco, some people arrived as students. Many have become administratively irregular because they can no longer return to their countries of origin due to political instability. Many are very often arrested and sent back to towns in southern Morocco, a practice the authorities do a lot.

It is very difficult once in Morocco to renew or apply for a residence permit. In order to renew the residence permit, the authorities often request to return to the country of origin. Applying for a Visa for Europe is very difficult.

This highly vulnerable situation has made many migrants ill. There are tensions because there is a lack of housing, a lack of food to eat, a lack of warm clothes and a lack of accompaniment to take care of purchases of patients’ medicines, especially for sub-Saharan populations.

At the moment, there are many arrests and violence by the Moroccan police. People are then sent to the south of the country.

Care for highly vulnerable migrants has become almost difficult and sometimes impossible. Migrant support associations that detected, welcomed, guided and sometimes accompanied migrants in need of assistance have disappeared. Some local contacts remain.

On access to Spain by land: focus on the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla :

• Both territories are Spanish territories at the heart of Moroccan territory.
• There are big barriers and a lot of police checks and attacks.

Access to Spain by sea :

• Maritime voices remain traditional and despite strengthened security measures to prevent irregular migration. There are a lot of smugglers who charge very high prices to try to cross.
• The most frequent boat spots for a long time remain in the South in the direction of the Canary Islands.
• For several years now, the northern area has remained virtually inactive in the field of making people cross by pirogues or makeshift zodiac.
• The law criminalises smugglers and passengers.