Surge in Moroccan Political Asylum Seekers Challenges Morocco’s Human Rights Claims

According to the newspaper Al Qods Al Arabi, although the Moroccan authorities deny the existence of political detainees in Morocco, preferring to use the term "prisoners of riots", European countries contradict the Moroccan thesis, by granting political asylum to Moroccans at a sustained pace.

The President of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), Amina Bouayach, in a statement to the Spanish press agency EFE, formally denied the existence of political prisoners in Morocco, provoking strong reactions and criticism within Moroccan civil society and politics.

In order to be able to benefit from the right to political asylum, European countries have put in place strict and clear conditions. Meeting these selective criteria, the number of Moroccan nationals who have obtained the status of political refugee has soared in the space of two years.

France and Spain are at the forefront of European countries that have granted the most authorizations in favor of Moroccan applicants for political asylum. According to "Al Qods Al Arabi", the latter come mainly from the media, artistic, civil society and even state circles.