Arab Barometer: More than a third of Moroccans contemplate migration for economic mobility

The Arab Barometer, an independent, non-partisan research network that has been conducting opinion polls in the MENA region since 2006, released results of the seventh wave of its poll this week, conducted particularly in Morocco.

The nationally representative Arab Barometer survey was conducted face-to-face from March 4 to April 26, 2022 among 2,404 Moroccans randomly selected from all regions, using a multi-stage cluster sample.

The Morocco report looks at several issues, including the effects of economic pressures, pandemic reactions and the opening of borders between the Kingdom and neighboring Algeria.

Moroccans surveyed expressed “great sensitivity” to the health and economic crises and “many recognize their impact on their daily lives,” although not all Moroccans see the country’s current situation through a similar prism, says the poll report.

The report adds that “citizens in different regions perceive international threats,” while “citizens in southern regions are more concerned about Iran’s influence in the region.

Overall, “Moroccans are still concerned about the spread of COVID-19, although the country has one of the most effective response strategies on the African continent. They “rally around economic issues as the most important challenges facing the country.”

To overcome these challenges, Moroccans believe the government “should focus on creating jobs, increasing wages for existing jobs, and reducing the cost of living.”

However, more than a third of Moroccans who are trying to overcome economic challenges in their country “are looking for a better future in another country,” the report notes, recalling that this percentage actually remains lower than it was in 2018, while this desire to emigrate is “higher among younger men and those with higher levels of education.

Moroccans also maintain a more positive assessment of the United States, but only about three in ten Moroccans favor normalization with Israel.

Moroccans overwhelmingly favor opening borders with Algeria 

Data from the Arab Barometer shows that Moroccans “are not in favor of closing the borders. “A large majority of Moroccans (67%) say they are in favor of opening the land border between Morocco and Algeria, which was closed in 1994. A similar proportion (68%) is in favor of opening the air borders between the two countries,” the report explains.

Moroccans aged 30 or older and those living in the northern region of the country are “slightly more likely to support opening the land and air borders with Algeria,” points out the research.

“More importantly, citizens in the region bordering Algeria, who could feel the impact of open land borders, are much more likely to support reopening the borders,” the report adds.

As a result, “a clear majority (90%) of citizens living in the Oriental region remain in favor of opening the land borders, while 94% of them are in favor of opening the air borders between the two neighboring countries,” reveals the poll.