Brain Drain: Belgian-Moroccan Professionals Relocate to Morocco’s Major Cities

"I remember a cousin, fifteen years ago, who had left Brussels to settle in Casablanca. No one could have imagined her choice," recounts to La Libre Hakima Mommen, a third-generation Belgian-Moroccan, whose grandparents joined Belgium in the 1960s. "Such stories, ten years ago, we would have listened to them with wide eyes. We would have described it as ’crazy’, ’completely crazy’... Now, we are interested in it, we talk about it in the family, among friends, we ask questions, we ask for news," insists Ridouane, a senior Belgian civil servant. "Even me, who feels very well integrated, Belgian to the core, I thought about it. The return to Morocco, for us, the Belgian-Moroccans, is now a possible horizon."

Hakima goes on: "Today, mentalities have evolved, and everyone understands such life paths. Only my grandmother did not understand immediately. She who fought with my grandfather to build their life in Belgium, she had the impression that their efforts had been in vain. But that’s not true. She knows it now and is very proud of my journey." This dietitian, nutritional therapist and mentor in personal, professional and spiritual fulfillment has settled in Marrakech. "I knew Morocco through our family vacations that we spent in Oujda, in the east. But I would never have imagined settling there. When I was young, I needed something else, freedom... Around my thirties, I rediscovered this country of my roots through my work as a nutritionist, and my outlook changed. Even more so during the Covid-19 epidemic. That year, a trip to Dubai made me realize that there were other horizons than Belgium. That’s when I took the step and ended up settling in Marrakech. The possibilities offered by telework have helped me a lot. Now, I support my patients online, which is very easy, and offer retreats in Marrakech."

Hakima nevertheless expresses her gratitude to Belgium: "As for me, I am still grateful to Belgium and what it has offered me for 37 years. But I must admit that I am now in love with Morocco, its incredible human warmth and the freedom it grants us. I feel free here." "I arrived in Morocco nearly 15 years ago. At the time, I was a pioneer...," confides Merouane Touali, founder of a communication and public relations consulting firm, and president of the Circle of Laureates of Belgium (an association that brings together graduates of Belgium residing in Morocco). He left Belgium for Rabat in 2007 with the desire to "give a new impetus to [his] career" by joining a Moroccan private group, then public institutions. "Within them, I observed and participated in the phenomenal development of the Kingdom over the past fifteen years. It was exciting," he assures, before explaining the flight of Belgian-Moroccan skills to Morocco.

"The country offers a lot of opportunities and has become very pleasant to live in, insists the one who regularly meets Belgian-Moroccans who are now settling in Rabat or in the provinces to launch activities in construction, tourism, digital. The road infrastructure is developing, the fiber optic is connected, we find Belgian schools and health care is progressing, in particular through the care coverage agreements between Belgium and Morocco. Between Europe and Africa, the country is also very well located. Not everything is easy of course. Some return to Belgium because they know failures. But I am certain that this movement of return to Morocco will last and that many, while remaining in Brussels, will develop activities south of the Mediterranean."

Jérémy Mandin, a researcher at the University of Liège, evokes a double cause. There are first the economic and social crises that are marking Belgium and installing a heavy climate there. Many feel bogged down there, he explains.

He will add: "Belgium is no longer considered an emancipating country for young graduates, particularly for those from foreign minorities who still suffer from professional discrimination. They have the impression that they will hit a glass ceiling their whole life, that some opportunities will inevitably escape them.

But beware. Their departure is not just the flight from an austerity context; it also results from a desire to join dynamic regions, globalized and global cities that offer many opportunities." Affective, religious, cultural and professional reasons often intertwined that do not abolish their attachment to their dual nationality are also at the origin of the return to Morocco. "What is interesting, nevertheless points out Jérémy Mandin, is that many of those I have interviewed felt recognized as Belgians once they arrived abroad." Ridouane confirms: "Yes, they remain attached to Belgium where they grew up, but I am certain that the more Morocco develops, the more this return phenomenon will gain momentum, predicts Ridouane. Rabat knows it and is surfing on its soft power to encourage it. You know, even the journey to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup by Morocco has contributed to such a movement.

This epic has generated a great sense of pride, belonging, and attraction to the country. This can divert a life trajectory. I think Belgium has an interest in monitoring this phenomenon. It must realize that if it does not want to become an educational hub that one leaves the diploma obtained, it must ensure - as a priority - that everyone feels respected and recognized within its walls."