Poverty in Northern Morocco Fuels Migration Crisis in Spanish Enclave, NGO Reports

"These events reveal an economic and social reality, where a large part of the Moroccan population lives in chronic precariousness, often leading them to engage in informal micro-activities," denounced the organization.

In the eyes of Transparency, the real causes of this situation are the marked territorial disparities marked by development lags in certain regions of Morocco, including the north.

Certainly, the last 20 years have been marked by huge industrial infrastructure achievements in this part of the country, Transparency Morocco points out, noting that this beautiful industrial dynamic is unfortunately oriented towards exports. Logically, in such an economic context, external economic dependence has very quickly taken over. This has led to an unfavorable shock on the living standards of the local populations, who have found themselves facing serious employment problems and a drastic deterioration in their standard of living.

The evolution has then been characterized by an increase in social inequalities and therefore the precariousness of the majority of the population, exacerbated by systemic corruption and aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the closure without alternative of trade with Ceuta, denounces the Transparency representation in Morocco.

The current situation requires urgent measures from the public authorities, the organization warns, adding that public policies will have to be oriented, job and income-creating, while putting in place control and accountability mechanisms. These strategic orientations will create a favorable environment for economic development and above all the well-being of the populations of the regions concerned.