Abhatoo - Centre Nationale de Documentation

Morocco has a long history as a sending country. However, in recent years, as civil, political, and economic unrest has uprooted many people, Morocco has emerged as a transit country for migrants attempting to reach Europe. Additionally, as borders have become tighter and as migration has become more financially burdensome, many have permanently settled in Morocco. In response to the relationship between Morocco and Europe, many instruments have been developed between the EU and Morocco to manage migration and mobility. In this study, using policy analysis and a semi-structured interview approach, I will examine the motives of the EU for allocating financial aid to Morocco. Through comparisons between the discourse of policy documents and the reality of the types of projects financial support is being allocated towards, this study seeks to determine what goals the EU is hoping to achieve by supporting Morocco financially. After examining these motives, I will analyze the implications of financial support on migration policy and internal responses to migration in Morocco. While the EU is a powerful entity, this study examines whether Morocco has been able to maintain sovereignty and protect its individual interests in their migration policies. In addition to the EU’s impact on Moroccan migration policy, this study investigates how the conditionality and nature of financial support of the EU has affected the activity and success of national NGOs.
Research Question: What are the motives of the European Union to allocate foreign aid to Morocco for projects related to migration, and how will the rationale and conditions of this aid affect migration policy in the EU and Morocco, as well as the activities and successes of national NGOs?