Forced Migration in the OIC Member Countries:
Policy Framework Adopted by Host Countries
113
individuals who approached UNHCR to claim asylum in the first three months of 2016,
however, were from sub-Saharan African states.289 Most refugees under the purview of
UNHCR are located in the cities of Rabat or Casablanca.290
Table 10: Persons of concern to UNHCR in Morocco, by nationality
Country
Number of Refugees / Persons in need of
International Protection
Syria 2,927
Yemen 461
Ivory Coast 281
Dem. Republic of Congo 150
Iraq 131
Central African Republic 95
Others 232
TOTAL 4,277
Country Number of Asylum seekers
Cameroon 410
Dem. Republic of Congo 318
Côte d’Ivoire 308
Guinea 215
Mali 126
Central African Republic 109
Others 424
TOTAL 1,910
Source: UNHCR, “Morocco Factsheet March 2015” (fact sheet, UNHCR, Rabat, March 2016),
Morocco had served as a destination for Syrians long before the Civil War, attracting many
migrants seeking job opportunities, especially in the sectors of agriculture and well drilling.291
As a result, a significant proportion of Syrian refugees in Morocco was already present legally
in the country at the outbreak of the war, and therefore became refugees “sur place.” It is
estimated that this group has lived in Morocco for five to ten years and is relatively well
integrated into society.292 In contrast, after the outbreak of the war a large group travelled to
Morocco specifically to seek asylum, either travelling by air directly with a visa or transiting
through Algeria, where a visa was not required until 2015.293 In 2015, Spanish authorities
289 UNHCR, “Morocco Factsheet: March 2016,” accessed June 16, 2016,
290 Of 4128 refugees and others in need of international protection who reported to UNHCR, 1504 (36 percent) resided in
Rabat and 825 (20 percent) resided in Casablanca. 30 percent lived in Oujda, Tangier, Fes or Marrakech, leaving 14 percent
who lived outside of these major cities or whose location was unknown. UNHCR, “Morocco: Refugee population and UNHCR
implementing partners’ presence,” 2016, provided by UNHCR Morocco.
291 UNHCR, “Morocco Update: Information Note on Syrians Applying for Asylum in Morocco”
292 Ibid.
293 Ibid.