Study Reveals Disparities in Moroccan Government’s Handling of Expatriate Affairs

At a press conference held earlier this week in Rabat in the presence of representatives of several ministerial departments and several administrations, the Hassan II Foundation for Moroccans Living Abroad presented the conclusions of its study on the management of complaints from Moroccans residing abroad in public administrations. It emerges that there are major differences in the way each administration handles the affairs of MREs. Some do respond to their requests in a way that does not solve their problems, while others never respond to them, or take a long time to do so. In short, the study reveals that MREs have lost confidence in these administrations. It is therefore "necessary for each administration to be responsive to the grievances of MREs, in order to support them in the accomplishment of their affairs and the resolution of the administrative problems they may encounter," stresses Abderrahman Zahi, Secretary General of the Hassan II Foundation for Moroccans Living Abroad, to the daily Al Ahdath Al Maghribia. He will recall that King Mohammed VI had already called, in a previous speech, for efficiency and responsiveness in the handling of affairs concerning MREs.

Taking stock of its activities carried out over the past ten years, the Hassan II Foundation has reported that it is mainly the community of Moroccans residing in France that solicits its services the most. It is followed by MREs from Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands. The number of complaints from MREs received amounts to 21,784 and the number of correspondences addressed to various administrations, the main ones being the Ministry of Justice, the Judiciary and the Ministry of the Interior, reached 32,774. These complaints mainly concerned judicial disputes. A subject at the top of the subjects for which the foundation is solicited by the MREs, with a share of more than 65%. The other subjects are disputes in the courts for family code-related matters, civil, criminal and social affairs, procedural issues, as well as customs and tax issues, or appeals against administrative and judicial bodies.

Abderrahman Zahi also stated that the Hassan II Foundation is fully mobilized to provide the necessary support to the community of Moroccans abroad, according to the prerogatives conferred on it by the legislator. However, it needs the support of the various concerned administrations.