Grace: What do you think about Sub-Saharan African refugees/migrants in Morocco?
Interviewee: I think they are doing the same thing that we do, that’s why they come here because it is the closest point to Europe. But when they get here they get stuck here with us. So they leave their countries to go to Europe and then when they get to Morocco rather than Tunisia or Algeria where you will actually get to the other side of the Mediterranean, where Morocco is actually getting paid to keep them here, so we can’t let you leave, you are a prisoner just like the other Moroccans.
Grace: Yes, I have been reading so much about this stuff.
Interviewee: Yes can you see how the king is constantly benefitting himself.
Grace: Yes but it is also interesting how much this benefits European countries.
Interviewee: Yes because they can not afford more refugees in their countries, and they do not want to look bad. Because the EU says that we can have refugees, especially from the countries that they are recognizing, it is a way to make up for them. So until you can afford to live in your country, we will have you here, educate you. But then they just feel so overwhelmed, and I don’t blame them, they can’t afford all of these people like we have our own people to look after too. So instead of actually giving them some help or just letting those people actually fight against their presidents or their corruption, they try to make it look nice. They pay the king to have them here, in a country where his own people do not have what those people want.
Grace: But you really think that European countries couldn’t take more refugees or migrants?
Interviewee: Yes, I mean do they have the freedom and power to do it? Yes. Is it okay for them to do it? Yes. Because we just don’t want you here, you can’t ask to be here. Do you want to study? Do you want something? Yea we can get that for you but then you are going in debt to us forever. I understand the European point of view. It can be racist too because the sub-Saharans are black, and we are caucasian. We are white.
Grace: It is so creepy. I feel like we need to come to an international consensus because migration is going to continue to be an issue. With environmental change, with political upheaval, with people moving from rural to urban, people are moving and they will continue to move, and this will continue to be an issue. I feel like we need to make an international consensus of this is how we are going to deal with this as opposed to countries funneling money to each other in order to get what they want in certain situations. This is when behavior becomes insidious. An international consensus on this sounds promising in theory but in practice, it will be much more difficult to create.
Interviewee: Yes but I think environmental issues will cause people to create international consensus on a lot more issues, such as migration.