COVID-19 Claims 500 Lives Among Moroccan Expatriate Community

"The number of deaths due to the coronavirus within the Moroccan emigration has reached 500 people for a population of around 5 million people," he said in an interview with the MAP. According to Mr. Boussouf, these MREs have complied with the state of emergency decreed in their host countries. "No excesses have been recorded among the ranks of Moroccan immigrants, nor any act or behavior that could harm the public health of the countries where they live," he assured.

The health crisis related to the coronavirus has had a negative impact on the remittances of MREs. The health confinement that had led to the halt of economic and industrial activities "did not fail to affect a large part of the Moroccan community, especially those working in the real estate and tourism sectors," the official stressed. Result: MRE money transfers fell by 12.4% to 22.67 billion dirhams over the first five months of the year, according to the Foreign Exchange Office.

Abdallah Boussouf also praised the commitment and sacrifice of the Moroccan community abroad towards Moroccan citizens stranded in various countries of the world after the borders were closed. Not to mention their contribution to the Special Covid-19 Fund created on the orders of King Mohammed VI.