The situation of sub-Saharan African migrants in Morocco is closely tied to ongoing human rights concerns and the state’s efforts to improve social and economic conditions for both citizens and migrants. Integrating migrants safely into public life through migration-sensitive policies remains a central challenge for both government and non-state actors, requiring alignment between national legal frameworks and international migration norms.
Morocco’s migration policy shifted toward a security-oriented approach following international and domestic terrorist attacks in 2001 and 2003, as reflected in Law No. 02.03, which emphasizes control measures and imposes restrictive conditions on migrants’ residence. This shift prioritized counterterrorism concerns over human rights, framing migration primarily through a lens of security.
In the wake of the Arab Spring, Morocco temporarily increased tolerance toward human rights claims, formally acknowledging migration in public policy and introducing regulatory and legislative measures. While this marked progress, gaps in implementation remain, particularly regarding human rights protections, political accountability, and social inclusion. These gaps raise questions about the effectiveness of government efforts to improve migrants’ safety and legal security.
Reliable data on sub-Saharan African migrants in Morocco is limited due to informal migration, undocumented status, and inconsistent official reporting. Despite these challenges, regularization programs have granted legal status to tens of thousands of migrants, allowing access to healthcare and education, though irregular migration continues to represent a significant portion of the migrant population.
Recent census data indicates that in 2024, Morocco hosted 142,152 migrants, with sub-Saharan Africans—primarily Senegalese, Ivorians, Guineans, and Malians—constituting nearly 60 percent. Migrants tend to concentrate in urban centers such as Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakesh, seeking economic and educational opportunities. Female migration, especially from Côte d’Ivoire, has also increased, adding a gender dimension to migration patterns.
Irregular migration remains prevalent, driven by economic hardship, insecurity, and environmental pressures in migrants’ countries of origin. Morocco’s geographic position as a gateway to Europe has made it a key destination for such migration, creating complex political, economic, and social challenges in managing migrant populations and providing access to basic services.
Migration policies are shaped by Morocco’s broader diplomatic and economic objectives, including consolidating its standing in Africa and negotiating with the European Union on trade and migration cooperation. The National Strategy for Immigration and Asylum, adopted in 2014 with EU support, introduced humanitarian and rights-based approaches and aimed to improve migrant integration while strengthening migration governance. However, structural shortcomings, bureaucratic management, and insufficient coordination have limited the strategy’s impact.
Morocco’s legal framework reflects extensive international commitments, including the 1951 Refugee Convention, the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers, and the 2018 Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration. Despite this, gaps remain, particularly for irregular migrants, and restrictive national laws—such as Law No. 03.02 and employment regulations—undermine migrants’ access to essential services and labor rights. These shortcomings exacerbate legal precarity, exploitation, and limited access to education and healthcare.
Human rights violations against sub-Saharan African migrants are well-documented, including arbitrary arrests, forced transfers, discrimination, racialized discourse, gender-based violence, and restricted freedom of association. Migrant women, in particular, face heightened vulnerability to sexual exploitation, while legal and institutional barriers prevent effective protection and participation in civic life.
Civil society organizations continue to play a vital role in supporting migrants, but their capacity is limited by insufficient funding and resources. Greater participatory approaches that involve migrants themselves, alongside sustained collaboration with civil society, are needed to ensure policies respond to the realities and needs of migrant communities.
Integration prospects depend on leveraging opportunities, such as legal recognition, constitutional guarantees, and the presence of civil society actors, while overcoming constraints including limited political engagement, restrictive legal frameworks, and reliance on European partners’ security-driven policies. Structural and resource challenges continue to hinder comprehensive integration and protection for sub-Saharan African migrants.
Ultimately, a rights-based approach is essential to improve Morocco’s migration governance. This includes reforming the legal framework, ensuring migrant participation in policymaking, strengthening civil society, reducing bureaucratic centralization, and linking international agreements to the protection of migrants’ rights. Enhanced accountability, transparency, and accurate data collection are also critical to ensuring the safety, dignity, and inclusion of sub-Saharan African migrants in Morocco.
