Moroccan municipalities mobilize to support returning diaspora for 2025 Operation Marhaba

With the official launch of “Operation Marhaba 2025,” Moroccan municipalities across the country are activating special offices and standby teams to support the influx of Moroccan expatriates returning home for the summer.

Local governments in various regions have announced extended service hours, including weekends and public holidays, to assist members of the diaspora seeking administrative support during their limited stays in Morocco.

Returning Moroccans often seek to handle paperwork related to property, utilities, or regulatory matters, and increasingly use their vacation periods to initiate small business ventures or resolve long-standing administrative issues.

In the southern city of Aït Melloul, the municipality has reinforced its year-round “Office for Moroccans Abroad” to meet heightened summer demand. Brahim Tayr, the city council’s first deputy president, said the office is staffed with trained personnel who provide direct assistance, guidance, and follow-up services.

“We’ve enhanced the office’s outreach with a new interactive digital platform to manage requests remotely,” Tayr told Hespress AR, adding that most inquiries concern property documents, water and electricity connections, and construction permit follow-ups.

“This initiative was established in line with royal directives to strengthen the bond between Moroccans abroad and their local communities,” he said. “Aït Melloul has long been a hub for migrants, especially workers in mining and construction.”

In the rural commune of Amlen, located in the Tiznit province, similar measures have been in place since 2014. Council president Abderrahman Hajji said the municipality partnered with the NGO Migration and Development Association to create a dedicated office for migrants and their families.

This office offers services that range from administrative guidance and rights facilitation to social integration support, targeting both returning Moroccans and foreign nationals residing in the region. “We’ve institutionalized a year-round standby unit that operates even on weekends and holidays to ensure responsive public service delivery during the summer peak,” Hajji said.

He added that the commune is actively updating its migrant database and has included migration-related priorities in its 2022–2028 development plan. “Given the large number of residents living abroad or in other Moroccan cities, integrating the migration dimension into our planning is not just necessary, it’s a strategic priority,” Hajji noted.

Municipal leaders across Morocco are increasingly recognizing the socio-economic value of the diaspora and see summer as an opportunity not only to deliver services but also to reinforce engagement with citizens living abroad, many of whom contribute significantly to local development.