Abdelkrim Benatiq, Minister Delegate in Charge of Moroccans Residing Abroad and Migration Affairs (MRE), announced on July 28, 2019, that there approximately 5 million Moroccans living abroad. He affirmed that these expats play an important role in representing the North African country and demonstrating a “model of coexistence and respect for each other’s beliefs.” The Skirhat based meeting, a coastal city near Rabat, also emphasized that the Kingdom’s Ministry intends to implement programs to help Moroccans abroad keep their national status and protect their birthrights. In alignment with this promise the MRE recently created a trial agreement with the Council of the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima. The partnership will create a community center aimed at helping Moroccans abroad communicate more easily with their families and serve them when they visit for holidays.
The agreement specifies that both institutions will also equip the center with resources and that a management committee will govern it. The center accomplished it’s first big achievement on August 6, 2019. The month prior, it assisted 567,932 passengers and 159,110 vehicles with a safe return to Morocco through the Tangier Med Port.