Morocco: Migration and Transnational Identity

Educational Excursions

The Netherlands
Experience the growing and dynamic debates stemming from the increased migration of Muslims to Europe.

The program travels to Amsterdam and Rotterdam to consider the increased migration and growing presence of Muslims in Europe, particularly in the context of the Netherlands. Students will typically have the chance to:

Meet the mayor of Rotterdam, the first Moroccan-born mayor of a Dutch city
Engage with Dutch politicians and learn about the rise of anti-immigration politics
Have lectures on on the history of Moroccan migration to the Netherlands
Examine Dutch patterns of integration
Have discussions with Moroccans living in the Netherlands

Students will be immersed in many of the central debates surrounding the growing Muslim presence in Europe, including: the varied reactions of Dutch politics and the rise of anti-immigrant/Muslim parties; “success stories” of Muslim migrants and issues surrounding “integration”; ideological constructions of Muslim identity.

Spanish-Moroccan Border: From Rabat to Fnideq
Engage with organizations working in the areas of migration and development.

To map a migrant cross-border route from Rabat to Europe, students travel to the northern cities of Ouezzane, Chefchaouen, and the border town of Fnideq. In Chefchaoun, students visit Association de développement local de Chefchaoun. The visit illustrates the many socioeconomic, cultural, and historical (including former colonial) ties between Spain and Morocco, particularly evident in northern Morocco.

In visiting Fnideq—closely situated near southern Spain—students witness the number of local development projects in the region, many of which are being supported by the European Union Neighborhood policy project. Students meet with activists involved in issues of migration, gender, and local development and learn about women who have benefited from vocational training provided by local development associations.

Khoribga, Fqih Ben Saleh, and Beni Mellal
Explore the many different causes of migration while considering its impact on the cultures and societies of several rural areas within Morocco.

Once a prosperous and thriving mining town, Khoribga is today confronting serious hardship, following a sharp decline in revenue from phosphates mining. The town’s economy is struggling, and migration has become the community’s collective fixation. Students will engage with the Association of Families and Friends of Victims of Clandestine Migration (AFVIC) to learn about this organization’s work with families who have experienced or are currently considering clandestine migration.

Fqih Ben Saleh is a small town in the Tadla-Azilal plains, whose recent socioeconomic growth has been largely determined by remittances from Moroccan immigrants. Students will visit the staff and volunteers of local migrant associations and discuss the dynamic relationship between development and migration. Students also will meet with local youth to compare their perspectives on migration, disenfranchisement, and perceptions of Europe and the U.S.

In Beni Mellal, students will gain firsthand experience of the impact migration has had on a local economy and culture. They also will have a chance to engage in a roundtable discussion with people from the local communities on the issues of migration and development.