Study: Moroccans’ views of sub-saharan migrants shaped more by self-interest than religion

A recent academic study has found that positive perceptions of sub-Saharan African migrants in Morocco are largely shaped by practical self-interest rather than religious considerations, suggesting that acceptance often depends on whether locals perceive a benefit from migrants’ presence.

The study, titled Awareness of Otherness Between Religion and Utilitarianism: Moroccan Representations of Sub-Saharan African Migrants, was published in the latest issue of Omran for Social Sciences, a journal issued by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies.

Researchers concluded that favorable attitudes toward migrants tend to emerge when Moroccans feel they gain some form of advantage from their presence, or at least do not experience harm, loss, or social disruption.

“When people perceive that migrants bring no harm or even offer some form of benefit, positive representations are more likely to develop,” the study said. However, when migrants are seen as causing economic, social, or security-related problems, negative perceptions quickly emerge, often resulting in stigmatization, exclusion, and racism.

The research was conducted by Aziz Mashwat, a sociology professor at Hassan II University of Casablanca, and Mehdi Jaafar, a doctoral researcher in sociology and anthropology at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University.

It was based on part of a previous field study carried out by researchers from the platforms Center for Research and Social Studies in cooperation with the MADA Network. The team selected 14 semi-structured interviews from an original pool of 50 conducted with Moroccan citizens living in different cities across the country.

The researchers said religion played more of a secondary role, often serving to justify preexisting attitudes rather than creating them.

“Religion intervenes mainly to justify these perceptions and positions toward the African ‘other,’ whether toward acceptance and coexistence or toward exclusion and discrimination,” the study found.

The authors also noted that while religion and skin color remain important factors in understanding migration-related social dynamics, utilitarian concerns, particularly linked to economic and social interests, often play the decisive role.

They argued that the stronger mechanism behind Moroccan perceptions of Black African migrants lies in what they described as “convergences and divergences of interests and utility,” rather than purely religious or symbolic considerations.

Still, the study stressed that religious and political considerations remain relevant, particularly in Moroccan public policy. It pointed to official efforts tied to national interests, including diplomatic support for Morocco’s position on Western Sahara, strengthening religious ties with Sufi communities in West Africa, and broader diplomatic engagement with Europe through the Catholic Church and migrant communities.

The researchers concluded that attitudes toward migrants are shaped more by context and situational interaction than by fixed moral or religious beliefs, reflecting a broader social logic where perceived benefit often determines acceptance.