Projet Oriental Protection Migrants Maroc

Project completed

Morocco is a country of transit and destination for migrants and refugees, 20’000 of which live on the margins of society, despite the 2014 adopted first ever migration strategy, promising the respect of human rights and access to public services. The “Projet Oriental” facilitates access to health care and provides humanitarian support to 5’600 vulnerable migrants per year and coaches public and civil society service providers to care for the specific needs of the migrants.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Morocco
Migration
Humanitarian Assistance & DRR
Health
Migration generally (development aspects and partnerships)
Protection, access & security
Medical services
01.01.2017 - 31.03.2018
CHF  658’750
Background

In December 2014, the Moroccan government adopted a first-ever immigration and asylum strategy, based on international conventions and human rights. The new strategy is assessed by Development Partners (including Switzerland) as a sound base for cooperation. The strategy is implemented more slowly and more partially than initially hoped, though. The Migration Ministry is small and weak, implementing its coordination mandate rather ineffectively. Switzerland currently is the recognized lead donor in humanitarian assistance and protection and facilitator of donor coordination in migration, due to its long engagement, broad partner network, reputation as quality provider, and its support volume. 

There currently are roughly 20’000 vulnerable migrants in Morocco: 12’000 non-regular transit migrants, 5’000 regularized immigrants and a few thousand refugees (volatility in migration flows remains high and numbers keep changing). Migrants’ assistance and protection needs derive from the following main vulnerability factors: destitution, non-regular status, gender and age (women and children). Potection of migrants’ rights in Morocco is addressed by roughly 10 NGOs/SCOs  and UNHCR, ICRC, and IOM. Translating access rights into real access (to safety, health care, education, housing, administrative services, and employment & income) is the main protection challenge.

Objectives Improved health and living conditions of migrants and victims of violence in the north-east of Morocco (Region Oriental).
Target groups
  • Migrants (15% women, 10% non-accompanied minors)
  • Victims of violence (Moroccans and migrants => clients in “cellules violence” of public hospitals; still nearly 100% women, due to tabooization of sexual violence against men)
Medium-term outcomes
  1. Migrants and victims of violence have their living conditions improved
  2. Migrants and victims of violence access integrated health care services
  3. Public service providers better respond to migrants’ specific health and social needs
Results

Expected results:  

  • 5’600 migrants reached with non-food item distributions and/or health services access mediation
  • 3’500 migrants or victims of violence access integrated health care services
  • 750 migrants or victims of violence receive psycho-social support
  • 40 public servants trained
  • 11 public health and social assistance centers supported


Results from previous phases:  

Key results:

  • Response system established that assures health care access and basic humanitarian response for practically all migrants in north-eastern Morocco (more than 4’600 in 2016)
  • Progress in qualifying public organizations for catering to migrants as clients on same terms as Moroccan citizens (=> implementation of the new migration strategy). Furthest developed with victims of violence; all services through government structure, projects supports migrants and Moroccan victims, plus technical assistance for approach development.

Key insights:

  • Oujda is the Moroccan entry point for poor migrants travelling on the road on the western migration route, and Nador is the exit point from where boats leave to Spain. The “Oriental Region” is the main geographical focus of the Ministry of Interior’s repression approach, making protection work and cooperation with the government more challenging than everywhere else in the country. Developing governmental ownership for a protection approach was more successful in Oujda than in Nador.
  • It is no longer possible for migrants to move to Europe self-organized. Given migrants enter and exit Morocco in the “Region Oriental”, smuggling and trafficking networks in Oujda and Nador tightly control migrants, rendering humanitarian access difficult (especially to women and girls, who nearly all are trafficked).
  • In September 2015, administrative and financial irregularities were discovered with “Délégation Migration” in Nador, and in February 2016 also with “Médecins du Monde” in Oujda (for both: no fraud, but lack of systems and procedures); in July 2016 “Médecins du Monde” conceded the organization will not be regularized and therefore prompted its team in Oujda to transform into a Moroccan NGO, “Maroc Solidarité Médico-Sociale” (MS.2). Corrective measures for the administrative/financial problems are well advanced, but the partner set-up remains fragile.
  • In Oujda, open camps were closed by the security forces in 2015 and all migrants nowadays live in houses rented by smuggling/trafficking networks. In Nador, all migrants live under open sky in camps in forests. In both locations, paying for medicaments is the major beneficiary cost item. In Nador, migrants are escorted for visiting health centers, and non-food distributions cover needs related to weather conditions.


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Humanitarian aid
Project partners Contract partner
International or foreign NGO
Private sector
  • Other international or foreign NGO North
  • Foreign private sector North


Coordination with other projects and actors Plateforme Protéction and GADEM (Groupe antiraciste d’accompagnement et de défense des étrangers et migrants); Qantara (Caritas); ALCS (Association pour la lutte contre le SIDA); MdM Tamkin; Traite (UN-Women); programs UNHCR and ICRC
Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    658’750 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    605’130
Project phases

Phase 1 01.01.2017 - 31.03.2018   (Completed)