Morocco
A Wave of Demolition
Since winning the bid to host the 2030 World Cup, Morocco has been razing neighborhoods in an attempt to spruce up its cities for the millions of projected visitors it will see. But residents report being given short notice and paltry compensation when their homes are demolished.
The Ones Who Remain
In the wake of the largest mass crossing in Ceuta's history, thousands of migrants are spending their days searching for food and dodging police, while the Spanish enclave has become the latest battleground in Europe's political debate over migration and identity.
The Lost Daughters of Bousbir
In 1930s Casablanca, a walled district called Bousbir drew European tourists with promises of “exotic” pleasure. But behind its ornate gates, hundreds of Moroccan women and girls were imprisoned by the French colonial authorities. Their stories are preserved in the desperate letters of families who tried to free them.
Vietnam’s Village of Moroccan Defectors
Hundreds of conscripted Moroccan soldiers defected to join the Viet Minh during the French Indochina War, then stayed in Vietnam to build their lives — until the Americans came, and they were forced to flee to a home they hadn’t seen in decades.
In Morocco, Amazigh Jews Confront Their Long-Held Ties to Israel
For decades, Morocco’s Amazigh population aligned itself with Israel in a form of solidarity against the Arabization of the region. Now, in the face of the war in Gaza, some Amazigh Jews are rethinking these long-standing ties.
At the Epicenter of Morocco’s Earthquake, the Search for Survivors Is On
The race against the clock to find those trapped is on, but the remote location, the terrain and the power and data cuts that the quake caused are wreaking havoc with the efforts. New Lines arrived in Asni late on Saturday, just as residents were bracing for a night sleeping outdoors. Of the houses left standing, many had deep cracks in the walls, threatening to collapse at any moment, particularly if an aftershock came.
Morocco Legalized Cannabis, but Divvying Up Profits Is a High Bar
After criminalizing cannabis farming for six decades, in May 2021 the Moroccan Parliament reversed course, passing a law that lawmakers hoped would open a new era when farmers and the state would collaborate to capitalize on the country’s cannabis potential, worth an estimated $15 billion, for pharmaceutical purposes.