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FM AMCONSUL CASABLANCA
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INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 2838
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0710
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0225
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 3673
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT 2202
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 7776
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 1962

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CASABLANCA 001310 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/07/2015 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREL PREF SMIG MO
SUBJECT: DESPITE LACK OF OFFICIAL ACCORD UNHCR EXPANDS RABAT OFFICE 
 
REF: A) Casablanca 0818 
 
 B) Casablanca 0634 
 
Classified By: Principal Officer Douglas C. Greene for Reasons 1.4 
(b), (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary: During a recent meeting at UNHCR's office in Rabat, 
Head of Office Johannes Van der Klaauw told Poloff that, although the 
GOM is dragging its feet on official recognition of the organization, 
he is pressing forward with plans to increase his staff and enlarge 
his office space.  Though frustrated with the holdup, Van der Klaauw 
spoke positively about the cooperation he is receiving from some 
ministries in dealing with the recognized refugees and asylum 
seekers.  He is eager to help the GOM train its security forces in 
the internationally accepted methods of dealing properly with 
refugees in Morocco, and confirmed that he is now collaborating with 
more local and international NGOs that offer various types of 
assistance programs.  NGOs are now providing medical care, job 
training, and shelter to the most vulnerable refugees.  End Summary. 
 
------------------------- 
The Recognition Runaround 
------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) In mid-November, UNHCR Head of Office Johannes Van der Klaauw 
shared with Poloff his disappointment with the GOM's continued 
refusal to sign a letter of official recognition of UNHCR's mission 
in Morocco.  After months of negotiations, the GOM had agreed to sign 
the accord on July 10, during a visit by the UN's High Commissioner 
for Refugees.  One day prior to the meeting however, Van der Klaauw 
received an unacceptable counter proposal from the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs (MFA) limiting the mission's diplomatic status and 
restricting UNHCR officers' freedom of movement within the country. 
 
¶3.  (C) Van der Klaauw attributes the complications and delays to the 
Ministry of Interior's (MOI) security concerns.  The MOI, he claims, 
is understandably anxious about border security matters but must work 
with the MFA to reconcile Morocco's international humanitarian 
responsibilities with domestic and border security procedures.  In 
Van der Klaauw's words, "the MOI is not keen on seeing the office 
officially recognized for fear of an onslaught of sub-Saharan 
refugees and asylum seekers inundating the country."  He added that 
the MFA has been supportive, if only unofficially, and is receptive 
to discussing issues regarding the refugees. 
 
----------------------- 
Expansion of the Office 
----------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C)  Fourteen months ago, when Van der Klaauw arrived in Morocco, 
the UNHCR office had only two officers to interview a backlog of 2500 
cases in addition to the hundreds of cases that appeared each month. 
During those fourteen months, Van der Klaauw has managed to increase 
the team to five and significantly decrease the backlog while 
continuing to meet the needs of those refugees and asylum seekers who 
still arrive in Rabat every day.  He is also searching for more 
office space for the new staff and a space where they can offer 
expanded services to the refugee community. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Currently, the UNHCR interviews 80 new applicants a month, 
of whom approximately twenty percent are approved.  Over and above 
new applicants, the office continues to whittle down the 2500 
accumulated cases that have been waiting since the summer of 2005. 
UNHCR staff has managed to slog through 1700 of the old cases and 
hopes to have the remaining 800 done by March 2007.  Of the total 
number of cases rejected by the office, 700 have filed for appeal. 
Van der Klaauw explaind that 400 of these are still waiting for 
processing in Geneva, 300 have been processed, and only one of the 
UNHCR Rabat's decisions has been reversed. 
 
¶6.  (U)  The total number of recognized refugees and asylum seekers 
in Morocco remains small.  Van der Klaauw made it clear that 
approximately 200 cases had been recognized in the twenty years prior 
to 2005 and another 250 new cases have been approved since his 
arrival in September of the same year.  Van der Klaauw claims that 
most of the long-term cases living in Morocco have integrated to some 
extent, marring Moroccans and sending their children to Moroccan 
schools.  Many of these refugees and asylum seekers work in the 
informal sector as skilled craftsman and are not interested in 
relocation. 
 
--------------------------- 
Security is Always an Issue 
--------------------------- 
 
 
CASABLANCA 00001310  002 OF 003 
 
 
¶7.  (C) Some months ago, Van der Klaauw offered MOI officials a 
UN-funded training program designed to teach Moroccan security forces 
the internationally accepted methods of handling potential and 
recognized refugees and asylum seekers.  According to Van der Klaauw, 
UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva has approved funding for the training 
project.  The MOI has yet to accept the offer. Van der Klaauw reports 
that there is an enormous need for training throughout Morocco in 
general, and in the region around Oujda, in particular. 
 
¶8.  (C) Oujda is a mid-sized city in the northeast corner of Morocco. 
 The city, near the Algerian border, is a transit point for illegal 
intending immigrants as well as legitimate refugees and asylum 
seekers.  Each month, UNHCR receives word that Moroccan security 
officials have grabbed numerous refugees from in and around Rabat and 
Casablanca and transported them to the region near Oujda in an 
attempt to hustle them out of the country.  According to Van der 
Klaauw, the security forces treat the refugees poorly, destroy their 
documents, and give them no opportunity to contact UNHCR.  One of the 
reasons cited by security officials for this problem has been the 
easily falsified documents issued to the refugees by UNHCR.  Van der 
Klaauw confided that he often hears reports about trafficking rings 
on the Algerian side of the border selling cheap and easily 
accessible false documents, which has exacerbated the problem with 
Moroccan security forces. 
 
¶9.  (C) In an attempt to solve the problem, UNHCR will soon begin to 
issue new machine-readable identification cards to all recognized 
refugees and asylum seekers.  According to Van der Klaauw, the new 
laser printed ID cards will be difficult to duplicate.  He hopes that 
the new cards will mean fewer desperate calls from the border to 
assist refugees in trouble.  Van der Klaauw is prepared, however, for 
an initial negative reaction to the cards from the GOM.  He suspects 
that the durable plastic cards may be seen as an indicator of a 
lengthy stay for the refugees and a permanent presence for UNHCR. 
Both situations run contrary to the apparent wishes of the GOM who 
would like to see all the refugees resettled in a third country. 
 
----------------------- 
Ministerial Cooperation 
----------------------- 
 
¶10.  (C) While Van der Klaauw admitted to challenges in dealing with 
the MOI, he noted that other ministries have been very helpful in his 
endeavors to set up programs to assist the refugees.  At the 
beginning of the school year, UNHCR worked closely with the Ministry 
of Education to register 40 refugee children in the Rabat-Sale public 
education system for the first time in the country.  UNHCR is paying 
for supplies and other necessities for the children, most of whom are 
under twelve.  In addition, the Ministry of Health (MOH) is 
cooperating with UNHCR and a Pan-African Medical NGO to assure that 
the recognized refugees receive proper medical treatment in hospitals 
and clinics in Rabat and Casablanca.  UNHCR, in cooperation with the 
same NGO and the MOH, is funding a mobile clinic for mother and child 
care. 
 
------------------------------- 
UNHCR Gets Help from Other NGOs 
------------------------------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Turning to the need for long-term living solutions for the 
refugees and asylum seekers, Van der Klaauw stated that his efforts 
to find local partners for adult education and training are finally 
paying off.  A number of NGOs have agreed to allow some of the 
sub-Saharan refugees to enroll in their vocational training and adult 
education programs.  The NGOs are also assisting with job placement 
and helping the refugees set up small income generating enterprises. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Van der Klaauw, however, faces obstacles on all sides in 
these endeavors.  He sent a letter to the MFA informing them 
officially about the new partnerships with the NGOs, as required. 
When he did not receive a reply, Van der Klaauw took it as an 
indication to proceed with his plans, which he has done.  From the 
other side, according to UNHCR's NGO liaison officer, many of the 
refugees are reluctant to participate in the training programs.  They 
are concerned that finding a position in Morocco or creating a 
subsistence level enterprise will harm their chances at resettlement. 
 Van der Klaauw says that nearly all the refugees claim it is 
impossible for them to integrate into Moroccan society and therefore 
need to be resettled in a third country.  (Note: During the meeting, 
Van der Klaauw informed Poloff that he sent 13 resettlement case 
files for processing to the DOS regional refugee coordinator in 
Cairo. End Note) 
 
----------------------- 
Concerns for the Future 
 
CASABLANCA 00001310  003 OF 003 
 
 
----------------------- 
 
¶13.  (C) Van der Klaauw still expects the GOM to sign an agreement 
granting UNHCR official status, yet the frequent delays he encounters 
remain a cause for concern.  He and his staff are still not able to 
travel in the country to check on or assist refugees and asylum 
seekers.  He is troubled, also, that Moroccan security forces are 
still not respecting international agreements that protect the rights 
of recognized refugees and there is no pressure to do so without 
official recognition of the mission.  Van der Klaauw says he is now 
getting more help from EU countries, which are reminding the GOM of 
its international responsibilities regarding UN conventions on the 
treatment of refugees.  There is also more pressure from the EU 
regarding official recognition of the mission. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶14.  (C) Just over one year ago Morocco faced harsh international 
criticism and difficult domestic challenges when migration problems 
came to a head.  Sixteen sub-Saharan intending immigrants died near 
the Spanish enclaves of Sebta and Melilla in northern Morocco while 
trying to rush the border.  Subsequently, security forces were 
accused of rounding up thousands more from forests surrounding the 
enclaves and dumping them in the desert bordering Algeria and the 
Western Sahara.  Morocco responded by actively seeking ways to deal 
with its migrant problem.  The country issued appeals to the 
international community for financial assistance and organized a 
groundbreaking Africa-European Migration conference in July. 
However, Morocco fears that establishing a UNCHR mission in Rabat may 
make the country a magnet for sub-Saharans in search of a better 
life.  An acceptable solution to at least one aspect of the migration 
problem, however, will continue to elude Morocco until it fulfills 
its international obligation to uphold the 1967 Protocol to protect 
refugees and asylum seekers and officially recognizes UNHCR's mission 
in Rabat. 
 
GREENE