Morocco

Citizenship in Morocco is governed by the Code de la Nationalité Marocaine, first adopted 1958 and substantively amended most recently in 2007. The 2007 reforms, building on 2004 reforms to the family code, allowed women to pass their nationality to their children on an equal basis with men (see Le Nouveau Code Marocain de Nationalité et Son Impact Sur les Enfants Issus de Mariage Mixte).  The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child welcomed the changes, but expressed concern that in 2014 rural women often remained unaware of their right to transmit Moroccan nationality to their children, while 14 percent of births were unregistered.

One particular area of concern is the disputed territory of Western Sahara or the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which Morocco claims as a part of its own country. Some Sahrawis reject Moroccan nationality; other activists have had their Moroccan passports confiscated.

Key Resources

• Morocco: Report on Citizenship Law, October 2011
• La nationalité marocaine, 2017