Migration, Multiculturalism, and Inclusive Education in Morocco: An Analysis of the Social Dimensions of Public Policy

Migration, as a complex, anthropo-ethics and global phenomenon (Morin, 1999), impacts many countries worldwide, including Morocco, which has become both a destination and a transit hub for a growing number of migrants and refugees, particularly from sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. The inclusion of migrant represents an urgent challenge, both educationally and socially.
Recent national statistics (MENPS, 2023) indicate that more than 6,000 migrant children currently benefit from educational services. According to the national survey on forced migration, these children predominantly originate from Syria, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Guinea, the DRC, Cameroon, the CAR, Mali, and Yemen (HCP, 2021). These figures highlight a situation that is frequently stigmatized or even overlooked, particularly in relation to the realization of the right to education for this segment of the population.
Moreover, this situation raises critical questions regarding the access, the retention, the academic success, and the integration of identity and multicultural realities within the school environment.

Although the issue of school inclusion for migrant students is relatively recent as a focus of public policy intervention and academic research in Morocco (Alami M’Chichi et al., 2005; El Fellah & Errami, 2021; Haidar, 2022; Haince et al., 2020; Qassemy, 2014), the existing framework for integrating migrant-background children into the Moroccan education system (Circular No. 13-487, October 9, 2013) requires further evaluation, particularly in terms of its managerial, pedagogical, linguistic, and cultural dimensions.How can Moroccan schools rise to the challenge of inclusive education in an increasingly multicultural context? What obstacles and opportunities exist, and what strategies can promote the successful inclusion of migrant students in schools? What role do public policies and local initiatives play in this endeavor?
This paper aims to explore these issues within the Moroccan context and propose practical solutions for educational inclusion that account for both cultural and migratory diversity.