Morocco has again been ranked Tier 2 in the U.S. State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, reflecting progress in combating human trafficking but noting ongoing gaps in meeting international standards.
The report highlighted that Moroccan authorities increased investigations and prosecutions in 2024, opening 213 prosecutions, mostly linked to sex trafficking, compared with 119 investigations the previous year. However, convictions fell to 60 from 82, raising concerns about judicial follow-through.
Specialized prosecutors now operate in all 22 courts of appeal, yet the report warned that many frontline officials still struggle to identify trafficking cases, undermining investigations.
On the protection side, 452 potential victims were identified in 2024, with 229 confirmed, up from 169 in 2023. Victims received medical, legal, and psychosocial assistance. Morocco opened its first specialized shelter in Tangier and completed another in Fez, though the latter has yet to begin operations. Services mainly focus on women and children, with limited access for men. Courts ordered compensation for 23 victims.
Non-governmental organizations cited weak screening methods and underuse of shelters, and reported that Morocco’s anti-trafficking hotline was “periodically inactive.”
The report detailed the trafficking profile in Morocco, including Moroccan children exploited in domestic servitude, begging, and sexual exploitation; migrants, primarily women from Ivory Coast, forced into domestic or sexual labor; and Moroccan workers abroad subjected to abusive labor conditions, particularly in Europe, the Gulf, and Southeast Asia.
Preventive measures included five meetings of the national anti-trafficking commission in 2024 under Morocco’s 2023–2030 strategy, encompassing awareness campaigns, training, and hotline services. Nevertheless, the commission was described as under-resourced.
The U.S. report recommended improving victim screening and referral mechanisms, enhancing training for police, prosecutors, and civil society, strengthening support for NGOs operating shelters and providing legal aid, and allocating more resources to the national commission. It also urged tougher prosecutions, including against complicit officials.
While noting Morocco’s “significant efforts,” the report concluded that the country still “does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.”
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