Morocco hosts over 23,600 refugees and asylum seekers, led by Sudanese nationals

Morocco had 23,615 refugees and asylum seekers registered with the United Nations Refugee Agency by the end of June 2026, as rising arrivals from Sudan reshaped the country’s displaced population and placed additional pressure on its protection system.

The figures appear in UNHCR’s Morocco Factsheet for the Second Quarter of 2026, published on ReliefWeb on September 14. The data cover the situation as of June 30, as well as developments recorded during the first half of 2026.

UNHCR describes Morocco as having consolidated its position as «a key country of asylum» at the crossroads of Mediterranean and Atlantic migration routes. According to the agency, the Kingdom is increasingly serving as a «protection and inclusion space» amid regional instability, particularly the war in Sudan and forced displacement across the Sahel.

Although Morocco is frequently viewed primarily as a transit point for people seeking to reach Europe, the report shows that it is also hosting a growing and increasingly diverse population in need of international protection. This evolving role is reflected both in the number of asylum applications and in the wide range of nationalities represented.

More asylum seekers than refugees

Of the 23,615 people registered with UNHCR as of June 30, 10,538 had been recognized as refugees, while 13,077 were asylum seekers awaiting decisions on their applications.

The registered population came from more than 60 countries. Sudanese nationals formed the largest group, with 6,816 people, followed by Syrians with 5,239. Guineans accounted for 2,066 registrations, while 1,755 Ivorians and 1,357 citizens of the Central African Republic were also registered.

Together, these five nationalities accounted for most of the refugees and asylum seekers registered by UNHCR in Morocco, while the remainder came from a broad range of countries.

Within this diverse population, Sudanese nationals are now driving much of the increase in new registrations.

Sudanese arrivals drive new protection needs

The sharp rise in arrivals from Sudan is one of the report’s most significant findings. UNHCR said the increase began in 2024, amid the continuing conflict in Sudan, and that Sudanese nationals accounted for most new registrations in Morocco during 2025 and the first half of 2026.

Sudanese citizens represented 68% of all people newly registered by UNHCR in Morocco in 2026. The agency recorded an average of 233 new registrations per month during the period covered.

This trend reflects the widening geographical impact of the war that erupted in Sudan in April 2023, forcing people to seek safety far beyond the country’s immediate neighbors. According to UNHCR’s assessment, Morocco’s location along Mediterranean and Atlantic migration routes has contributed to its growing role as a destination for displaced people.

The changing profile of new arrivals also means that protection needs are becoming more complex. A significant proportion are children travelling without parents or legal guardians.

Unaccompanied children accounted for one in nine people newly registered in Morocco during the reporting period. UNHCR said this proportion highlighted «heightened protection risks».

UNHCR said the sustained growth of the population under its mandate was placing greater pressure on protection systems. The agency operates through a branch office in Rabat and five decentralized protection units established with its partner, the Moroccan Organization for Human Rights.

These units provide access to registration, documentation, counselling and protection services across key regions. Their decentralized structure is particularly important because refugees and asylum seekers are not concentrated exclusively in Rabat or Casablanca but live in several parts of the country.

The agency said it was working closely with the Moroccan government on the «progressive strengthening» of national asylum and protection frameworks within what it described as a «growing and complex» operational environment.