“When I arrived in Rabat, I thought the hardest part would be succeeding in my studies. But it was much more complicated...” says Mariam Touré, a Malian student in her second year of international law. Like many other young people from Africa, she left her family and her bearings hoping to pursue quality studies that would open a better future for her. But once there, enthusiasm gave way to disillusionment : never-ending administrative procedures, sometimes inaccessible housing, stress, etc...
During a speech delivered on March 4, 2023, at the opening of the second edition of the MD Sahara Forum in Dakhla, Abdellatif Miraoui, Moroccan Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, affirmed that the country had nearly 23,411 foreign students in 2021, of which more than 19,000, or 83%, were from sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated that between 2022 and 2024, there were over 17,000 in public and private Moroccan universities. This flow is the result of the South-South cooperation policy, particularly in academia, initiated by King Mohammed VI and supported by the Moroccan International Cooperation Agency (AMCI), which grants thousands of scholarships each year.
As an illustration, the Directorate of Cooperation and Partnership of the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education granted 5,000 new enrollment authorizations in universities for the 2019-2020 academic year. Most of these places were intended for students from 76 partner countries, of which 86% were from the African continent, 12% from Asia, 1% from the Americas, and 1% from Europe or Oceania. For many, Morocco is a springboard to Europe. Alassane Keïta, from Guinea, recounts: “I was supposed to do my accounting degree in Rabat and go back home. But after my diploma, I wanted to continue with a Master’s, hoping to land an opportunity abroad”.
Although their presence is in line with a stated desire for academic openness, the welcome of sub-Saharan students in Morocco faces another major challenge: the control of African migration towards Europe. Morocco has long occupied an important position in the border externalization policy led by the European Union. The latter funds and manages migration through the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), created in 2015 “to tackle the root causes of irregular migration in Africa”. Nearly 78,000 irregular migration attempts were intercepted in 2024, according to official data from the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior. According to InfoMigrants, between 70,000 and 200,000 sub-Saharans live in Morocco today, many of whom are in an irregular situation. Nearly 86.8% of them reportedly arrived by land from Algeria.
Administrative Labyrinths
The arrival of students thus evolves in a space where university reception coexists with a security
logic aimed at regulating entries towards Europe. Between the desire for integration and the desire to leave, their paths intertwine.
Moroccan law n° 02-03 on the entry and stay of foreigners sets several conditions. It requires all non-Moroccan travelers to have a valid passport which, after entering the territory, serves as an identity document for a maximum stay of 90 days. Furthermore, the reason for the stay must be determined beforehand. “It’s not easy, but it is imperative,” explains Mamadou Cissé, a board member of the Association of Malian Students, Pupils and Trainees of Morocco (ASEEM).
The process is long and exhausting. Numerous documents must be submitted to the National Security, including a medical certificate, a housing contract, proof of enrollment, etc. In theory, the first card is valid for one year, then three years upon renewal. In practice, delays and interminable queues make the procedure grueling. “The renewal, it’s the same struggle every year. Between missing papers and back-and-forths, we end up missing classes,” testifies Issa, an engineering student in Fez.
Finding a Roof, a daily challenge
Housing constitutes another headache. In large university cities like Rabat, Casablanca, or Marrakesh, demand largely exceeds supply. The AMCI houses approximately 12,000 students from 47 African countries each year. Places remain limited, and most of them must turn to the private rental market, which is often overpriced and not always welcoming. “I was refused an apartment because I am black. The owner told me he preferred to rent to Moroccans even though my papers were in order,” complains Alassane.
Mariam, meanwhile, recounts: “To reduce costs, I lived with other sub-Saharans in an apartment. The other tenants in the building accused us of making too much noise or having friends visit us at our place.” Following repeated complaints, she was forced to look for other accommodation.
The experiences of Alassane and Mariam are not isolated cases. Racial discrimination, sometimes barely veiled, adds to the financial difficulties. Between prejudices and mistrust, some students suffer from everyday racism: persistent stares, hurtful remarks, attitudes of rejection... “You’re reminded that you are not really at home,” laments Awa Coulibaly, an Ivorian medical student in Rabat.
Faced with this situation, mutual aid networks are being organized: older students welcome the newcomers, flatshare groups are formed, and associations provide support for administrative procedures. These discreet initiatives help maintain a certain balance.
Limited Survival Scholarships
Another difficulty is the cost of living in Morocco. Rent, transportation, food, and university supplies weigh heavily on a foreign student’s budget. Scholarships paid by the AMCI or by the countries of origin are often not enough to cover basic expenses. “My scholarship doesn’t even cover my rent for two months. Not to mention bills and other expenses. I give private lessons to survive,” confides Serge, a Congolese student. Like him, others improvise as nannies or housekeepers. These small, often informal jobs just barely allow them to get by.
“I worked as a cleaning lady for a year. It was the only solution to pay for my accommodation,” says a student in her accounting degree. Many works in the shadows, far from official circuits, without protection or stability, and for minimal wages.
Tunisia, Algeria, and Mauritania also see an influx of students from West and Central Africa. But, in Morocco, the question of real integration remains pending. Official discourses indeed praise a "united African community”, while, on the ground, social and symbolic fractures persist. Can African academic cooperation keep its promises without lasting social inclusion?
