On Tuesday morning, we met with the East-West Institute, which works to help immigrants integrate into Moroccan society. They discussed the Moroccan government’s work to combat trafficking and smuggling, the routes used by Sub-Saharan Africans to reach Morocco, and the “regularization” of irregular immigrants.
We then met with officials from the Spanish Embassy, who described how European governments are working with Morocco to stem flows of migrants and to build capacity to address smuggling and trafficking on the ground. Not only did we get a lot out of the meeting, but it was a true experience in real-time translation, as the meeting was conducted in English, French, and Spanish with various translators at different times.
In the afternoon, one of our team members met with a cultural facilitator to discuss political activism in Morocco. Juxtaposed with the other meetings we had in the morning at the Spanish Embassy and at the East-West Institute, this was a quiet and intimate discussion at a local Rabat coffee shop. Conversation over a couple hours spanned social media, competing narratives, and the complex relationship between the government and social activists.
We then flagged down a cab hoping to be headed in the right direction for dinner, jumped out a couple blocks away, and arrived to Tajine wa Tajina just in time for a glass of wine and a delicious meal - another successful day in Morocco!
