MOROCCO: Financial crisis drives Spaniards to Morocco in search of jobs, better life

Record ID: 348588

  • Title: MOROCCO: Financial crisis drives Spaniards to Morocco in search of jobs, better life
  • Date: 25th March 2013
  • Summary: RABAT, MOROCCO (RECENT - MARCH 15, 2013) (REUTERS) CARS PARKED OUTSIDE OF PEPE'S RESTAURANT VARIOUS OF FEMALE SPANISH CUSTOMERS SITTING INSIDE THE RESTAURANT VARIOUS OF WOMAN SITTING WITH DAUGHTER IN THE RESTAURANT VARIOUS OF OWNER PEPE GARRIGA ARRIVING AND ENTERING RESTAURANT CHEF FLIP PLANAS AND PEPE GARRIGA IN THE RESTAURANT'S KITCHEN CLOSE-UP OF THE CHEF'S HAND CHOPPIN
  • Embargoed: 9th April 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Morocco
  • Country: Morocco
  • Topics: Economy
  • Reuters ID: LVAALWVVSMS7M5JWI5MYEBKE3RV6
  • Story Text: Five years of economic stagnation and recession have dampened many Spaniards' hopes of finding a job in their homeland, leading them to seek opportunities and a better quality of life abroad.
    Spain's unemployment rate has risen to 26 percent over the past five years - the highest level since the 1970s and one of the highest in the European Union.
    Public anger is growing over austerity measures to tackle government overspending, which have aggravated economic problems, and over 40 billion euros in public debt spent on rescuing banks that loaned too freely to builders during a real estate boom that ended in 2008.
    Some Spaniards have chosen to go to more affluent countries such as Germany or the Scandinavian States to escape Spain's dire economy. Others opt for South America which has historical links with Madrid.
    But more and more Spaniards are crossing the Strait of Gibraltar to start a new professional life in Morocco.
    The short distance between Morocco and Spain, the low cost of living and the similarity of the weather are some of the reasons behind these new immigrants' decision to relocate to the North African country.
    For six years Pepe Garriga worked as a Morocco-based correspondent for the Spanish television channel TV3. But when the channel decided to close its bureau in the Moroccan capital Rabat and asked him to return to Barcelona, the 35-year-old decided to change course and became a restauranteur - in Morocco.

    "I had my position as a journalist waiting for me in Barcelona, but because of the bad situation over there, I decided since I know Morocco little bit to open this place," he told Reuters.
    Garriga has brought over chef Flip Planas from Barcelona and plans to employ between 20 and 25 moroccans when the restaurant is fully operational.

    "Because there are still some sectors in the Moroccan economy such as catering that the Spaniards know well, where there is a margin for people like me to have a profitable future in Morocco," he explained.
    With an unemployment rate of 9%, Morocco appears to be a land of opportunity to those suffering from global recession and has attracted investors and jobseekers from various parts of the world.
    According to the latest figures released by ANAPEC, the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment, the number of work permits delivered to foreigners went from 1,947 in 2007 to 3,684 in 2012, a staggering rise of 89 %.
    The Agency says the reason for this rise is because some private companies think foreigners are more skilled than locals.
    In Morocco's business capital Casablanca, a foundation called IntEnt Maroc - part of Intent International that has offices in Netherlands, Surinam and Ghana - was set up four years ago. It acts as an adviser to potential investors in Morocco regardless of their countries of origin.
    IntEnt Maroc's president says his company has helped more than 200 projects to be implemented in Morocco, 16 % of them from Italy and 15% from Spain, and the ongoing economic crisis in Europe is likely to bring more Europeans to Morocco.

    "Since IntEnt Maroc was set up four years ago, people were asking us for advise on how to create a business in Morocco. But for the last two years we noticed that more and more Spaniards are coming to us because of the problems they are facing. Because there is a large Moroccan community in Spain and because Spaniards like any other Europeans are scared to invest in Morocco on their own, they prefer to have a Moroccan partner to show them how it works in Morocco," said Essalam Aarfan, President of IntEnt Maroc.
    Toleken - a name made of the start of two cities in Spain and Morocco called Toledo and Kenitra - is one of the companies that benefited from the help of IntEnt Maroc. The company is made of three partners, two Spaniards and one Moroccan who has Spanish citizenship and splits her time in Morocco and Spain.
    The company brings to Morocco cows for their milk and cattle for their meat. Since it was set up last November with an initial capital of 300,000 euros, it has managed to double its capital to 600,000 euros and the three partners are thrilled with their success.
    45-year-old Luis Fernando Medina has been a cow breeder all his life and is more than happy to start a new life in Morocco,
    "We are a company made of two Spanish partners and one Moroccan woman from Kenitra where the company is based. We came to Morocco because there is a brilliant future in the long term. Today, Spain is living an economic crisis," said Luis Fernando Medina from a farm in Nouaceur, not far from Mohammed V Airport at the outskirts of Casablanca.
    His Moroccan business partner, 40-year-old Aziza Sehli, was instrumental in convincing him and his Spanish colleague to choose Morocco over Europe and Latin America for the new venture.

    "At the start of the crisis, he came to me and asked for my advice. He told me he wanted to go to Romania, and I asked him why Romania or France, why not Morocco because we are neighbours?" said Sehli, a mother of two.

    "He said there is a language problem and Moroccans are not easy people to deal with. I said there is no problem. I am Moroccan. Let's work together and the result will be good. Morocco is not what it used to be and it has good relations with other countries, including Spain. These people trusted me and we set up our company five months ago," she added.
    Aziza Sehli is part of the new generation of Moroccans who grew up in Europe while keeping strong links with their country of origin because they believe it has a brilliant future.
    Apart from catering and agriculture, many Spaniards are now working in tourism, real estate or as private teachers in Morocco. They're building a new life in a country not far from Spain, waiting for the right moment when they can once again return home.
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