Europe: why 90% of expulsion orders targeting Moroccans fail

According to the latest Eurostat data, Moroccan nationals remain one of the priority targets of removal policies in Europe. With 6,670 orders to leave the territory recorded in three months (or 5.8% of the global total), they are in second place among the most targeted nationalities, just behind Algerians. While a slight 6% decrease is noted compared to the previous quarter, the pressure remains constant.

However, between the administrative decision and the actual return to the country, there is a gulf. Statistics reveal that the execution rate of these measures has not exceeded 10% in recent years (it even fell to 8% in 2023). In plain terms: more than 9 out of 10 Moroccans targeted by an expulsion order ultimately remain in Europe.

Experts attribute this ineffectiveness to a diplomatic and technical tug-of-war. The lack of cooperation from the Moroccan authorities is pointed out: without the validation of the migrants’ identity and the issuance of consular laissez-passer by Rabat, Europe’s hands are tied. Added to this are the lack of a smooth legal framework and the difficulty of identifying people often without documents, turning the issue of return into a real political puzzle for Brussels.