Scenes of Moroccan students sleeping on the ground outside university dorms have resurfaced at the start of the new academic year, highlighting long-standing concerns over housing shortages in higher education.
Photos circulated this week showed students outside the Moulay Ismail university dormitory in Rabat. The National Union of Moroccan Students (Progressive Left faction) described the situation as “tragic,” saying some students were forced to spend nights outdoors with only thin blankets for cover.
“This bitter reality is the direct result of exclusionary policies and the lack of access to university housing, which is a fundamental right,” the group said in a statement Tuesday. It questioned how students traveling from remote regions could be left homeless while dormitories remain closed or overcapacity.
A government source, however, dismissed the claims, telling Hespress AR that the incident involved only “a small group” from the student union known for “seeking to create unrest.” The source said new students often face delays in accessing dorms due to the registration process and disputed the accuracy of the images.
Civil society voices say the problem runs deeper. Abdelouahed Ziyat, president of the Moroccan Civil Youth Alliance, said the shortage of dormitories compared with rising student numbers is “a real dilemma” that requires innovative solutions. He called for creating a dedicated institution for student affairs and for policies to expand housing across more cities to ease pressure on major urban centers.
Ziyat also urged the government to consider housing stipends for students renting privately, warning that without a comprehensive policy, families will continue to shoulder heavy financial burdens and student dropout rates will rise.
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