Brain Drain Crisis: Morocco Loses Thousands of Top Talents Annually

An opinion published in 2022 by the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) has highlighted the accentuation and transformation of the migration of Moroccan skills. The report notes a structural phenomenon: Morocco continues to train qualified profiles who leave the country, in the absence of effective retention strategies or adapted return mechanisms.

To support this analysis, the CESE relies on the results of the national survey on international migration. The data indicate a reorientation of skilled migration flows towards North America. Indeed, 76% of Moroccans residing in this area hold a higher education degree, compared to 48.9% for those living in the former European immigration countries. This migration is directly fed by the national education system, since 74.1% of Moroccan higher education graduates living abroad obtained their qualification in Morocco.

The sectors most affected by this skilled emigration are the scientific, medical, technical and industrial fields. Engineering, aeronautics, medicine and computer science are among the most concerned sectors. However, the report notes that this mobility does not always guarantee better professional integration. It documents a significant phenomenon of downgrading, illustrated by the case of Italy, where 81% of Moroccans with a university degree hold underqualified positions, compared to 21% for natives.

Faced with this dynamic, the CESE formulates several recommendations aimed at better mobilizing the diaspora. It has notably advocated the introduction of provisions to facilitate the mobility of Moroccan experts residing abroad, in order to facilitate their participation in national programs without requiring permanent return. The Council had also suggested the development of a digital platform for forward-looking job management, designed through a public-private partnership, to target diaspora profiles and meet the needs of shortage occupations in Morocco.

These proposals come as previous mechanisms, such as the TOKTEN program or the Maghribcom platform, have shown their limits. The CESE points to a lack of monitoring, coordination and capitalization on past experiences. The impact of this brain drain, although not precisely quantified, is identified as a loss of innovation and a weakening of university and industrial ecosystems, leading to an increased dependence on external expertise. The report thus highlights a structural issue for which a comprehensive response remains to be built.