VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHCL #0146/01 1971134
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 151134Z JUL 08
FM AMCONSUL CASABLANCA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8122
INFO RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DOJ WASHDC
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 8371
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0896
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 2993
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 2115
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT 2359
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 0303
RUEHBP/AMEMBASSY BAMAKO 0283
RUEHNM/AMEMBASSY NIAMEY 0278
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0660
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS CASABLANCA 000146 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE ALSO FOR G/TIP, INL/TIP, DRL/IL, DRL/BA, NEA/ENA, NEA/RA, IWI, 
PRM, AND G 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PHUM SMIG PREF PREL SOCI ELAB MO
SUBJECT:  MOROCCO CELEBRATES WORLD REFUGEE DAY: AN OVERVIEW 
 
Ref: RABAT 00319, CASABLANCA 00071, 07 CASABLANCA 00135 
 
¶1.  Summary: Although Morocco struggles with large populations of 
migrants and refugees, organizations such as UNHCR and the 
Friendship and Solidarity Organization (FSO) are moving towards 
further solidarity between Moroccan nationals and those who have 
adopted Morocco as their home.  To this end, Morocco celebrated UN 
World Refugee Day on June 20 with two events: the UNHCR Mission to 
Morocco official ceremony in Rabat, and an FSO community event in 
Casablanca.  As UNHCR reported progress in cooperation within 
government circles and local authorities, FSO members called for 
equal economic opportunities and a more sympathetic social posture 
of Moroccans toward migrants. End Summary. 
 
------------------------------------ 
RABAT EVENT- UNHCR OFFICIAL CEREMONY 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶2.  UNHCR Rabat organized a ceremony including speeches from the UN 
High Commissioner for Refugees (through pre-recorded video); 
Johannes van der Klaauw, the UNHCR representative to Morocco; 
Ambassador Jawad El Hamdi, the MFA Director of Consular and Social 
Issues; and another UNHCR representative who read this year's UNSYG 
World Refugee Day speech. 
 
¶3.  According to the UNHCR, at the end of 2007, the number of 
worldwide displaced persons under UNHCR's care reached 25.1 million, 
of which 11.4 million are refugees.  The Middle East and North 
Africa region hosted nearly 3 million refugees and people in 
refugee-like situations.  The total number of refugees currently 
registered with UNHCR Rabat is 832, with the majority coming from 
the Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Iraq. 
Van der Klaaw noted that 189 of these refugees are children age 
seventeen and younger.  UNHCR Morocco receives between 80-100 new 
refugee petitions each month.  The rate of acceptance to receive 
formal refugee status is about 20%. 
 
¶4.  The GOM's goal to be "more equitable, fair, and efficient" is 
compatible with their actions since the July 2007 "accord de siege" 
granting diplomatic recognition of UNHCR Rabat. In addition to 
increased funding, UNHCR reports fewer cases of official refugees 
being deported.  According to Anne Triboulet, UNHCR Rabat Protection 
Officer, the GOM previously pledged 75,000 USD annually to the UNHCR 
budget.  Since last July, that number has increased to 500,000 USD 
for 2008 and 522,000 USD for 2009. Diplomatic cooperation between 
UNHCR and the GOM ministries has also markedly improved.  Whereas 
before the "accord de siege" UNHCR only had access to the MFA, now 
officers can make contact with officials from any of the government 
ministries. One of the most noticeable changes is the behavior of 
Moroccan police towards refugees.  The refugees can present 
security-enhanced UNHCR cards if threatened with arrest; the police 
now check with UNHCR before deporting anyone with the card and UNHCR 
is unaware of any deportations of recognized refugees.  Although the 
GOM still does not officially recognize UNHCR refugee documentation, 
the cards have more de facto value. 
 
¶5.  According to the MFA, since 2004, the GOM has dismantled more 
than 1,800 trafficking networks, and has voluntarily returned more 
than 8,000 migrants back to their homes.  The GOM admits that it is 
difficult to distinguish between migrants who come only for economic 
benefits and those who truly need protection and asylum.  Ambassador 
El Himdi emphasized the need to put into place a "procedure that is 
simple but effective" to correctly handle each migrant's situation. 
To this end, the GOM has sent a research team to Western Europe and 
to Mali to review their asylum procedures, with the ultimate goal of 
establishing a Moroccan asylum office. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
A CASABLANCA COMMUNITY WITH A NEW PERSPECTIVE 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. The Friendship and Solidarity Organization (L'Association Amiti 
et solidarit/FSO) is a Casablanca NGO established in December 2006 
with the goal of creating social support systems between refugees 
and migrants and generating positive public opinion for these 
displaced persons.  The Moroccan FSO members provide assistance in 
cases of human and legal rights violations, arbitrary arrests, 
problems between landlords and renters, and government bureaucracy. 
Moroccan public support is a relatively new concept.  The FSO 
consists mainly of migrants from Africa and the Middle East. 
 
¶7.  The FSO distributes packets with basic necessities and medicines 
and provides access to lawyers, who volunteer their services.  The 
Moroccans in the organization pay the legal expenses out of their 
own pocket, as well as medical and other living expenses (such as 
food and clothing).  According to the president and founder, Lyoussi 
Souad, the FSO has assisted more than 200 local asylum-seekers and 
refugees, and answers regular calls for help during both the day and 
night. 
 
¶8.  The organization celebrated its second World Refugee Day event 
with an art exposition and a brief ceremony in Casablanca. 
Attendance consisted mostly of migrants with a few Moroccans. 
 
¶9.  The event included speeches from three migrants on their 
experiences in Morocco.  While thanking the GOM for its hospitality 
and apologizing to the people of Morocco for any trouble they have 
caused, they all expressed frustration with their current situation 
and the need for "respect" as human beings, as well as access to 
education and jobs.  The migrants also cited the need for the people 
of Morocco to recognize them as "refugees" in lieu of "illegal 
immigrants" as a significant step towards living normal lives. 
 
¶10.  Comment: The FSO's deep commitment to migrants/refugees is 
impressive.  As the organization is only two and a half years old, 
there seems to be no government assistance or funding outside of the 
organization's members, but the event invitation sent to poloff 
included a grant request, indicating current fundraising attempts. 
Overall, the Casablanca event was quite positive, even though there 
was a slight underlying sense of tension whenever the presenters 
talked about not having enough "respect".  The sub-Saharan migrants 
and refugees in the audience only seemed to partially agree with the 
more volatile comments; however, this stance is indicative of the 
attitude many migrants currently hold toward UNHCR because of 
frustration with their low economic, legal, and social status.  End 
Comment. 
 
ORDONEZ