ROYAL TESTIMONY

During his speech, His Majesty the King was keen to put on a par the worries experienced by Moroccan citizens with those of their counterparts living abroad. This is a true testament to the important role of our citizens,especially those living abroad. 

"Ensure the interests of our children living abroad", "consolidate their ties of identity," "the capacity to provide assistance to the development of their homeland" is the triad wanted by His Majesty.

The testimony of the sovereign is strong because he has testified of his own experiences with community members: "During my visits abroad and my meetings in the UK with members of our community abroad I have had the opportunity to take stock of their real concerns and legitimate aspirations. We thought they faced difficulties only within Morocco. But many of them also complain of a series of problems in their relations with the Moroccan consular missions abroad. "

HM the King said that in "effect, some consuls, not all - thank God - instead of fulfilling their duties as they should, are rather concerned about their personal business or politics. Several members of this community expressed dissatisfaction with the treatment they were subjected to in some consulates and complained about the poor services provided, both in terms of quality and deadline, and about administrative obstacles. "

A testimony that resulted in a call to the institutions responsible for the welfare of our citizens abroad: " I urge the Minister of Foreign Affairs to take firm action and remedy the problematic situation in some consulates.. "

RESPECT

The Sovereign also said that "the members of our community are even more disappointed when they make comparisons between the way they are treated inside Moroccan consulates with the quality of service provided by administrative and social departments in the host countries. Their requests may not be met, but at least they should be received and treated with respect and courtesy.

Supporting examples, the sovereign said that "they suffer delays in the registration of names in the civil status or the rectification of errors, with what this implies in loss of time and financial costs."

He also stopped on the choice of names that are sometimes the cause of problems:

“Names for newborns are also an issue that the Higher Civil Status Committee should work on to find reasonable solutions for the cases under consideration, showing flexibility and understanding. There should be no pressure and no name imposed on anybody.

The same goes for the slow, complicated procedures to renew and validate official documents. 

It would, in general, improve contact and communication with members of the community abroad, bring the benefits intended for them, simplify and modernize procedures, respecting their dignity and preserve their rights. 

The King also addressed “the problems the members of this community endure when they return home; I insist that anyone who tampers with their interests or takes advantage of their situation should be firmly sanctioned.

Despite all the difficulties they face, it is gratifying to see that the number of Moroccans visiting their home country every year is on the rise. Their love for their country is a source of pride for me and I have told them how keen I am to protect their interests”.

EFFECTIVENESS

Finally, King Mohammed VI stressed how important it was to implement the Constitution "for the integration of their representatives in the consultative institutions and governance bodies and participatory democracy."

The King also called “to develop an integrated strategy based on interaction and coordination between national institutions in charge of immigration issues” the goal being to enhance their efficiency and allow them to better serve the Moroccan community abroad”. 

In this regard, the King states that “the expertise of the Council for the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME) should be built on in order to establish a council that responds to the aspirations of this community”.