Morocco Tops List of African Destinations for French Expats, Foreign Ministry Reports

In Africa, Morocco (8th) is the top destination for the French abroad, followed by Algeria (11th), Tunisia (18th), Senegal (19th), Côte d’Ivoire (22nd) and Madagascar (24th). Worldwide, the French abroad, both active and retired, generally go to Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Germany, according to the Quai d’Orsay report.

According to this document, around 14% of the French abroad registered at the consular level are in Africa. In detail, 117,500 French were counted in French-speaking Africa and 109,000 in North Africa during the year 2020 when the French community abroad has significantly decreased.

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In Morocco, the French community recorded an overall decline of 4.3%. The cities most affected are Rabat (5.8%), Fez (5.6%), Marrakech (4.5%), Casablanca (3.6%), Tangier (3.4%) and Agadir (3.3%). But the decline is more noticeable in Algeria where it is 12%, including 15% in Algiers, 9.3% in Oran and 8.1% in Annaba. In Tunisia, the French community fell by 3.6% compared to 10% in Libya.

Globally, Africa represents the third continent of destination for the French abroad after Europe (400,000 in the EU zone and 350,000 outside the EU) and North America (275,000, including nearly 100,000 in Canada). Countries like Senegal, Cambodia, Turkey, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates have attracted more French in 2020, despite the health crisis, the report also notes.