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American Tourist Mistaken for Illegal Immigrant in Morocco Due to Racial Profiling
Monday 2 September 2019, by
An American tourist was the victim of a serious misunderstanding by the Moroccan police, due to the color of his skin. Mistaken for an illegal immigrant, he was transferred to Beni Mellal along with sub-Saharan nationals.
The American was on a tourist visit to Rabat when he was stopped by a police officer for an ID check. The officer, in a mocking manner, doubted his American origins, despite his driver’s license.
The tourist was then handcuffed before being taken by bus to Beni Mellal, along with illegal immigrants of sub-Saharan origin.
As he had some cash, the victim was able to return to Rabat, while no statement on the incident has been issued by the Moroccan authorities, knowing that it is an attack on the dignity of a tourist in a regular situation.