Returned Moroccan migrants face family rejection and societal judgment, experiencing failure with opprobrium

Returned Moroccan migrants often face significant social and familial challenges, as highlighted by Hicham Houdaïfa of the Moroccan Network of Migration Journalists RMJM and other experts at a training workshop in Rabat on April 6, 2026. This issue, often overlooked by statistics and public policies, involves a subtle but relentless form of societal pressure. The concept of "Hadhia," or constant social surveillance by extended family, neighbors, and old friends, plays a crucial role. Migrants who return without financial success or status are subjected to collective judgment, often seen as failures. Jamal Boutbagha of CEFA Maroc, working with returned migrants through the ICARuS project, noted that many migrants plead with him not to reveal to their families that they were deported, instead asking him to say they are on leave. This desire for concealment stems from the significant family investment made to finance their departure, which can make their return feel like a betrayal. Houdaïfa questioned the perception of Moroccan society as unified, citing his four years of fieldwork in Hay Sbata, Casablanca, which revealed a reality where migrant returns are met with rejection rather than solidarity. The physical setting of "diour al-waratha" heir houses, where multiple families share cramped rooms, exacerbates the problem. Returned migrants are often seen as additional burdens, with their inheritance rights sometimes denied. Lacking income for housing and facing administrative