Moroccan News Briefs - #4

Moroccan News Briefs published in The View From Fez draw on open source material, contributions from readers, as well as material from Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP), Morocco Times and official Moroccan Government press releases.

CHILD WORKERS FACE ABUSE

According to a new report from Human Rights Watch, tens of thousands of girls working as domestic servants in Morocco face physical and psychological abuse as well as economic exploitation. Moroccan law denies these children basic labor rights, and the authorities rarely punish employers who abuse them. The 60-page report, "Inside the Home, Outside the Law: Abuse of Child Domestic Workers in Morocco," documents cases of girls as young as five working 100 or more hours per week, without rest breaks or days off, for as little as six and a half Moroccan dirhams (about 70 U.S. cents) a day.

"There is a myth that these girls are improving themselves by working...the reality is that far too many girls end up suffering lasting physical and psychological harm," says Clarisa Bencomo, children’s rights researcher for Middle East and North Africa.

Here is Refusnik's take on the issue: refusenik: Child abuse in Morocco..alarming!!

Washington urges Morocco, Algeria to improve bilateral relations

Deputy Chief of Mission at the US embassy in Rabat Wayne J. Bush said on Monday that Washington encourages both Morocco and Algeria to improve bilateral relations for the stability of the Maghreb region. Speaking at an international conference held in Rabat on Arab-US relations through the media, Wayne Bush said the US supports a peaceful solution, through the United Nations, to the three-decade war over the disputed-land of the Sahara that opposes Morocco to the Algerian-backed Polisario.
Read the full MOROCCO TIMES REPORT

Over 5 million tourists visited Morocco up to October

Tourist arrivals in Morocco in the first ten months of 2005 have totalled some 5,052,833, i.e. a 5% increase in comparison with the same period of 2004, according to the Tourism Ministry figures. The statistics include 2,573,552 foreigners while Moroccan expatriates compose the rest of the arrivals.

French tourists rank first with 1,157,960 arrivals and a 16% rise in comparison to last year said the figures. The other nationalities include Spain (292,084), Great Britain (157,612), Germany (120,467, the only nationality to register a decrease - 2%), Belgium (108,239, i.e. 19% increase) and Italy (100,422).

Morocco has set up a tourism strategy that eyes attracting some 10 million tourists by the year 2010.

King launches re-housing project in Mohammedia

On Tuesday, King Mohammed VI launched a project to re-house the inhabitants of the rural commune of Beni Yakhlef in Mohammedia (70km south of Rabat). The king also inquired about the comprehensive programme for fighting unhealthy housing in Mohammedia. Worth USD 59 million, the project will benefit a total of 11,902 families living in 41 shantytowns.

Read the full MOROCCO TIMES REPORT

In Mohammedia, there are 18,000 families living in shantytowns, that is 25% of the city's population. The Monarch also inquired on the project to improve the housing conditions of the inhabitants of Casablanca. Worth USD 450 million, the project will benefit some 82,000 families and is part of a nationwide programme, launched on July 22nd , 2004 by King Mohammed VI.

Tags: Morocco, Fès, travel, news