Across the Mediterranean, President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Morocco at the end of last October was closely followed by the hundreds of thousands of Moroccans residing in France.
“For us too, it was a significant moment,” says Kenza, a young professional actively involved in the Moroccan community’s associative life in France. This engagement takes the form of associations that regularly organize conferences on topics related to national public affairs—whether it be the proposed reform of the Penal Code or Morocco’s future energy opportunities—alongside cultural events celebrating national heritage and networking gatherings aimed at connecting Moroccan professionals across various fields.
“When building a career abroad, whether for the long term or with plans to return to Morocco, there is this idea that, as Moroccans living abroad, we represent our country. And that is very important to us,” says Amine*, a dual national and representative of one of the many Moroccan student associations in France.
These networks, sometimes informal, strive to organize themselves to advocate for national causes, with the Sahara issue being the foremost priority.
Ambassadors at heart
« Even during times of crisis, we never gave up. In our own way, we have been fervent defenders of the Moroccan Sahara, » says Franco-Moroccan Khadija Gamraoui, former regional councilor of Île-de-France and president of the association La 9ème, named in reference to the ninth constituency for French citizens abroad, where Morocco represents the largest electoral participation.
« In his speech on November 6, His Majesty spoke of a ‘patriotic’ and ‘sincere’ approach. These words are very fitting. We saw ourselves in them because that is precisely the essence of the associative work that many of us have undertaken as part of civil society—to bring our two countries closer together while defending their interests, » continues Gamraoui, who now serves as a municipal councilor in a department where Polisario activists are particularly active.
« Many of us have parents who passed down their love and values for our country. We feel a responsibility, a duty, to defend Morocco and its Sahara, » she adds.
Is this a form of parallel diplomacy? « The Moroccan diaspora is often cited as an example of strong organization. We see key figures leading networks in the associative, cultural, and political spheres. In Belgium, for instance, the Moroccan diaspora has been particularly effective in organizing itself within the political and institutional world—something that took a few more years to develop to the same extent in France, » she explains.
However, this assessment is nuanced by Jamal Belahrach, a human capital expert and founder of La Maison de la Diaspora in Casablanca: « There are many of these influence groups, but they would benefit from being more structured. At La Maison de la Diaspora, this is one of our main goals. The diaspora has a crucial role to play in strengthening Morocco’s soft power, in collaboration with our embassies. »
Despite this, all interviewees emphasize the diaspora’s ability to integrate into the political institutions of their so-called « host » countries.
« Beyond the well-known national figures, there are hundreds of elected officials of Moroccan origin, at all levels, who, as part of their mandates, foster relations with Moroccan municipalities and regional councils through decentralized cooperation, » notes Driss El Yazami, president of the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME).
Many of these officials are also linked to broader influence networks. Among them are well-established institutional actors, such as the Cercle Eugène Delacroix, founded in 2014, which brings together nearly 200 French elected officials—including many Franco-Moroccans. On November 28, the group is set to host its third France-Morocco Elected Officials Forum at the French Senate, focusing on ecological transition, with the expected attendance of Morocco’s Ambassador to France, Samira Sitaïl.
The “new chapter” in Franco-Moroccan relations has also inspired several conferences. For example, on November 12, the Moroccan consulate in Paris and the town hall of the 6th arrondissement hosted a conference titled “Strengthened Exceptional Partnership.” The event featured notable participants, including Naïma Moutchou, a Franco-Moroccan deputy and vice-president of the French National Assembly.
Morocco in the lecture halls
“ESSEC, Polytechnique, Sciences Po, Assas… all these campuses now have Moroccan student associations. (…) These associations are relatively recent but highly active”
In Paris, events are thriving and often draw full houses. They bring together ambitious students, young professionals from diverse backgrounds, and civil society representatives from the diaspora. Their success has been so remarkable that university campuses have followed suit.
« Over the past two or three years, there has been a real movement within French campuses, especially in the grandes écoles, » observes Ilyan Berradi, Secretary-General of the HEC Maroc Association and founder of the Cercle des Jeunes Leaders Maroc-France. « ESSEC, Polytechnique, Sciences Po, Assas… all these campuses now have Moroccan student associations. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what sparked this momentum, but these associations are relatively recent and highly active, » he adds.
Initiatives are multiplying. Just this week, France’s most prestigious university, the Sorbonne, launched its own Moroccan student association, Sorbonne Maroc.
In the south of France, the Association de la Jeunesse Marocaine de Toulouse organized an institutional trip to Rabat, where members met with several Moroccan officials. The experience was documented in a film, which premiered on November 15 in the presence of Morocco’s consul in the southwestern city.
« One thing is certain: these initiatives stem not only from a desire to represent our country but, more importantly, to promote it, » says Ilyan Berradi. « The Moroccan community already knows its history, its causes, and its interests. It’s the others we are addressing. » He adds that these events are increasingly attracting French and international students, to the point that organizers often manage to obtain official flags—even within university campuses.
I vote, therefore I am?
While these associative networks demonstrate a strong capacity for organization, they still face a crucial challenge: political representation. For some, the advocacy work carried out by the Moroccan community abroad remains incomplete without the ability to participate in national public life from abroad.
The issue of voting rights for Moroccans residing abroad (MRE) has been a recurring topic in public debate for several years, yet it remains without any real prospect of implementation.
The issue of voting rights for Moroccans residing abroad (MRE) has been a recurring topic in public debate for several years, yet it remains without any real prospect of implementation.
In his royal speech on November 6, 2005, King Mohammed VI announced major measures concerning the Moroccan diaspora. The first was to grant them « the possibility of being duly represented in the House of Representatives in an appropriate, realistic, and rational manner. »
This same speech also led to the creation of the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME). These orientations were reaffirmed two years later in the royal speech of November 6, 2007: « This commitment is part of a comprehensive, integrated, and gradual approach aimed at ensuring their full and complete democratic participation in all sectors of national activity, » the monarch reiterated.
Although the 2011 constitutional reform, particularly Article 17, enshrined « full citizenship rights, including the right to vote and to be eligible for election » for Moroccans abroad, no organic law has yet been enacted to establish or define the conditions for their electoral representation.
For Khadija Gamraoui, it is clear that « Parliament must reflect all Moroccans, including the diaspora, which also has concerns that can only be addressed through legislative measures”
Within the diaspora and its representatives, opinions on voting rights for Moroccans residing abroad (MRE) vary. For Khadija Gamraoui, it is clear that « Parliament must reflect all Moroccans, including the diaspora, which also has concerns that can only be addressed through legislative measures. »
While this representation is seen as legitimate, the way it would be implemented raises many questions, even among those directly affected.
« The issue of voting rights often comes up in debates. I don’t think I’ve ever heard outright opposition to it, but many of us have noted that having the right to vote does not necessarily guarantee electoral participation. If this right were to be granted, it would need to be accompanied by a civic education component, » responds the Secretary-General of the HEC Maroc association.
“When you live in Stockholm, is your primary concern as an MRE really having a voting right on a road being built from Merzouga to Errachidia? I don’t think so. What urgently needs to be created is representation within the institutions responsible for Moroccans residing abroad”
But the debate doesn’t end there, as others remain even more skeptical. Human capital expert Jamal Belahrach puts it this way: « Of course, the MRE community needs to be represented on a range of issues that concern it. But when you live in Stockholm, is your primary concern as an MRE really having a voting right on a road being built from Merzouga to Errachidia? I don’t think so. What urgently needs to be created is representation within the institutions responsible for Moroccans residing abroad. Without that, the need for MRE integration will not be met by voting rights alone. »
This view is echoed by Driss El Yazami, president of the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME), who states: « I could be wrong, but I don’t believe that creating electoral districts abroad is a top priority for the communities concerned. In fact, only about fifteen countries in the world have such a system in place. »
Written in French by Soundouss Chraibi, edited in English by Eric Nielson
