Moroccan courts convicted 120 individuals on human trafficking charges in 2024, while 269 people were identified as victims, the majority of whom suffered from sexual exploitation, according to the annual report of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary.
The data shows that 76 men and 44 women were convicted of human trafficking crimes. Of the total, 113 convicts were Moroccan nationals, representing 94%, while seven were foreign nationals, a figure the council said underscores the cross-border nature of the crime.
The report revealed that sexual exploitation accounted for the largest share of trafficking offenses, with 92 convictionsrecorded. It was followed by illegal migration (18 cases), forced begging (8 cases), and one conviction each related to forced labor, exploitation for criminal activities, and involvement in armed conflicts.
No convictions were recorded in 2024 for slavery, practices similar to servitude, organ or tissue removal and sale, or human experimentation, the report said.
The judiciary’s report documented 175 adult victims, representing 65% of all victims, compared with 94 minors (35%). The council noted that this marks a shift from previous years, when minors made up a higher share of victims.
According to the report, adults are increasingly vulnerable due to economic hardship and unemployment, which “push many to seek work opportunities or improved living conditions, making them more susceptible to exploitation.”
Women represented 64% of human trafficking victims in 2024, compared with 36% men, the report said. The council attributed this to women’s greater vulnerability to psychological, social and economic pressures, adding that “most female victims were subjected to sexual exploitation.”
Sexual exploitation topped the list of abuses, affecting 154 victims, followed by 91 victims deceived or trafficked under false pretenses. Other cases included forced labor (8 victims), criminal exploitation (10 victims), forced begging (4 victims), and servitude (2 victims).
Of the total victims, 215 were exploited within Morocco, while 54 were trafficked abroad, according to the Supreme Council’s findings.
The report concludes that the persistence of human trafficking in Morocco underscores the need for stronger prevention mechanisms, victim protection programs, and international cooperation to combat cross-border exploitation networks.
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