Algerian Residents Resist Morocco’s National Census, Official Expresses Frustration

"Four Algerians refused to respond due to their nationality among a total of 300 foreign families residing in Morocco," said Ahmed Lahlimi Alami, High Commissioner for Planning. A refusal that provokes the annoyance of the Moroccan official. He assures that if he had had the power, he would have expelled them all from the borders.

Morocco carried out its seventh general census of population and housing from September 1 to September 30. This operation concerns all those who reside in Morocco, including foreigners residing habitually in the kingdom. But its cost has sparked criticism. "Those who criticize this wonder if they want the census operation not to be digitized or carried out using electronic tablets," Lahlimi Alami reacted, stressing that "the cost of the census per individual in Morocco does not exceed ten dirhams, and it has decreased compared to the 2014 version."

"The cost of this year’s census operation was distributed as follows: 283 million dirhams for cartographic work, 803 million dirhams for human resources, 140 million dirhams for electronic tablets, 32 million dirhams for computer equipment and systems, 15 million dirhams for the communication campaign, and other expenses amounting to 193 million dirhams," he detailed.

The High Commissioner for Planning also says he understands "the persistence of the anger of activists defending the Amazigh language regarding the way the census was conducted and the nature of the long questionnaires including the language." He will explain: "the Arabic language itself is threatened with extinction, just like Amazigh, and what is even more important is that the census operation is not aimed at obtaining data to satisfy any party, but only to reflect the existing reality."