Moroccan Students Lead Foreign Enrollment in French Universities Despite Pandemic

The Minister of National Education has been a significant help in the preparations for the 2020-2021 academic year. Saaïd Amzaz held working sessions with the French embassy in Rabat in June to facilitate the issuance of visas to Moroccan students enrolled in French institutions. This commitment from the supervisory authority has allowed students to arrive on time at their institutions to continue their studies.

For a few years now, France has become the preferred destination for foreign students, to the detriment of Russia, China and Germany, which were previously in high demand. 12% of all international students in France during the 2018-2019 academic year came from Morocco. Data published by Campus France showed that during the same period, the number of international students in France stood at 358,005 and they came from a total of 196 countries. 46% of these international students came from Africa, while one in four came from elsewhere in Europe.

The 2019/2020 school year was not as rosy as the previous ones. Major obstacles arose in the form of a virus that led to the implementation of drastic measures. On March 13, 2020, a statement from the Head of Government Saadeddine Elotmani came to make students understand that the months ahead would be difficult and turbulent. Morocco decided to protect itself against the spread of Covid-19 by suspending air and sea links "until further notice". But today, the barriers have been lifted and Moroccan students can bring their dream of studying in France to life.

In addition to Moroccans, classified as the largest community of foreign students in France during the 2017-2018 academic year, recent statistics have shown that Algerian students are also among the top on the list, with 31,196 students. The number of Tunisian students in France reached 13,025 during the 2018-2019 academic year. The data also mentions Senegalese, Ivorian, and Cameroonian students. We also find students from other European countries and even Asia.