Moroccan Dual Nationals Protest Bill Barring Them from Cabinet Positions

The bill presented by the PJD parliamentary group to the House of Representatives has sparked outrage from the "Moroccans in Germany" association. In a statement, it recalled that MREs from Germany, who experience "racism" daily and fight for their integration into German society, have "always relied on the clear and constant position" of King Mohammed VI, who affirmed in his last Green March speech that "every Moroccan woman and man has an unshakeable place in their homeland, wherever they may be."

For the association, this bill is "lacking in political foresight and carries short-sighted populism." It "sends a negative and dangerous message to millions of Moroccans residing abroad, whose connection to their country remains strong," it adds, calling on deputies and the government to "work for a global development of the Kingdom, based on unity and not division, in the interest of all Moroccans, both inside and outside the country."

The "Moroccans in Germany" association continues by insisting on the federation of all skills, including from the diaspora, to help Morocco overcome the "significant economic, social, and geopolitical challenges" it faces. Dual nationals "play an essential role as bridges of cooperation with partner countries," the organization states in its press release, emphasizing that the exclusion of this category from ministerial positions "would not only be unjustified but would also constitute a setback in the Kingdom’s openness to the world."

The PJD parliamentary group had submitted a bill amending organic law No. 065.13 relating to the organization and functioning of the government and the legal status of its members. It provides, among other things, that "persons holding other nationalities are not eligible to be part of the government," and that "government members must proceed with the sale of all shares they hold in private companies, businesses, and establishments of all categories."