The 1956 Belgian Mine Disaster That Preceded Moroccan Migration

That morning, a fire ravaged the Bois du Cazier coal mine in Marcinelle, near Charleroi. Among the victims were 136 Italian workers and 95 Belgians. The tragedy shook an industry already facing a labor shortage.

Italy, which had been supplying Belgian mines with thousands of workers since 1946, suspended their departure. Employers sought new recruits in Spain, Greece and Morocco. Moroccans were already working in the coal mines before the official agreement of February 1964, notes The Brussels Times in an analysis published on October 26.

Recruiters traveled across the Rif and other regions of Morocco. For newcomers, mining contracts often lasted one year and could be renewed only once. The workdays were grueling, the barracks cramped and training opportunities limited.

Miners for factories, young workers to support pensions

Alongside industrial needs came demographic concerns. In 1963, a study by demographer Alfred Sauvy for the Walloon Economic Council warned of an aging population. The arrival of young workers was also expected to support economic activity, social security and pensions.

In February 1964, Brussels and Rabat formalized recruitment. The movement quickly spread beyond the mines: companies in the metalworking, construction and food-processing industries also began employing Moroccans. Wives and children gradually joined the first arrivals.

The 1973 oil crisis brought this phase of recruitment to an abrupt end. The families who had settled stayed, and their children grew up in Belgium, where access to rights and the fight against discrimination became new struggles.

On Bladi.net : Moroccan Belgians: From Foreigners to Citizens

As of January 1, 2025, 75% of residents whose first recorded nationality was Moroccan had acquired Belgian nationality, according to Myria data. This is a far cry from the temporary contracts offered to the first miners.