Over ¾ Moroccan expatriates live in Europe, according to a report published by the Hassan II Foundation for Moroccans living abroad last month.
In this report, the Hassan II Foundation indicates that more than 4 million Moroccans currently live abroad, most of which reside in European countries; namely in France (1.2 million), Spain (550,000), Italy (380,000), the Netherlands (280,000), and Germany (130,000).
The remaining 15% are scattered in other regions of the world, particularly in Gulf countries (360,000) and in North America (240,000).
Many factors explain this distribution. Perhaps most importantly, historical factors such as the colonial ties Morocco has with France and Spain explain why these two countries host the majority of Moroccan expatriates. Additionaly, Morocco’s geograhical proximity with Europe, through the straights of Gibraltar and the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, also contributes in making the continent the first destination for Moroccan migrants.
The Moroccan Times.
