Morocco voluntary migrant repatriation operations

Morocco has initiated organized voluntary repatriation operations for migrants from various African nations.

In early September, Moroccan and Senegalese authorities coordinated the return of Senegalese nationals intercepted at sea by the Royal Moroccan Navy. Following an initial group of 120, a second group of 38 migrants traveled by land through Mauritania toward the Senegalese border town of Rosso. The Consulate General of Senegal in Dakhla is working with Moroccan officials to facilitate the return of additional nationals currently in reception centers.

By mid-September, Morocco expanded these efforts to include Sudanese nationals. In the first organized operation of its kind for Sudanese migrants, 137 individuals departed from Casablanca’s Mohammed V International Airport. This initiative, conducted in coordination with the Sudanese Embassy, is part of Morocco’s national migration and asylum strategy. The migrants, who were residing in Morocco irregularly, expressed a desire to return home to participate in Sudan’s reconstruction and development efforts.

The Sudanese Ambassador to Morocco, Mawada Omar Hageltoam El Badawi, praised the initiative as a model for other African nations and highlighted the cooperation as an example of South-South partnership. She expressed gratitude to King Mohammed VI and the Moroccan government for the facilities provided to ensure the success of this inaugural flight.