80% of Dutch-born Moroccan descendants return within six years of moving abroad
Leaving the Netherlands does not necessarily mean settling permanently elsewhere. Among adult descendants of Moroccans born in the country who moved abroad, 80% had returned within six years. A European analysis published on 8 October sheds light on the phenomenon and challenges the idea of a mass return to their roots.
They leave to build another life, sometimes in Morocco, sometimes much farther away. Yet the vast majority eventually return to the Netherlands. According to official Dutch statistics, 80% of Moroccan descendants who emigrated as adults returned to their country of birth within six years. The figure points to a reality quite different from that of a permanent departure.
The data comes from the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). It concerns people born in the Netherlands between 1980 and 1999, whose movements were studied over the period from 1995 to 2017. Among this population of Moroccan origin, only 14% had left the country at least once.
Another surprise: when they decide to leave as adults, these Moroccan descendants do not necessarily choose their parents’ country. Among those whose destination is known, 84.3% head to a country other than Morocco.
Morocco draws them, but leaving is not always permanent
These findings are put into perspective in an analysis published on 8 October by Eurac Research. Researcher Elettra Calò examines the mobility plans of children of Moroccan immigrants raised in Europe.
For those who choose Morocco, Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier and Agadir are more appealing than their parents’ hometowns. Career prospects, opportunities to start a business and quality of life matter as much as family ties.
But settling there can run up against very practical difficulties: lower wages, children’s schooling, access to healthcare or administrative procedures. Moving to Morocco therefore does not guarantee they will build a lasting life there.
The researcher also cites a survey of 84 descendants of Moroccans born in France or Belgium and interviewed in Oujda. Of them, 61% could envisage living in Morocco. Only a small minority had actually done so.
These journeys show above all that younger generations have several options. Settling in Morocco can be a career move, followed by another departure or a return to Europe. For those who grew up in the Netherlands, their country of birth often remains an anchor, even after an experience abroad.