France appeals to hundreds of thousands of young Moroccans

French agricultural companies, particularly in the Gers region, are looking for foreign seasonal workers, particularly from Morocco, to fill the critical labor shortage. This initiative is part of agreements established with the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills (ANAPEC), aimed at recruiting around 800,000 seasonal workers this summer, a period marked by the start of the grape harvest.

A growing need for labor

Faced with the shortage of agricultural workers, the French government has recently taken measures to facilitate the employment of foreign seasonal workers. A decree published last March expands the list of occupations in shortage, now including several agricultural professions. This decision helps meet the urgent needs of farmers, while providing opportunities for Moroccan workers, whose expertise and determination are well recognized in France.

Morocco, a key partner

Abdel Fattah Zine, coordinator of the African Network for Migration and Development, emphasizes that the use of seasonal workers from countries outside the European Union, such as Morocco, allows France to meet its labor needs while contributing to the regulation of migratory flows. For countries of origin, this practice offers a pressure relief valve for the labor market, which is often saturated and marked by a lack of governance in employment mechanisms.

Moroccan workers, with their experience and know-how, are particularly sought after in the French agricultural sector. Their rapid adaptation to local agricultural practices places them in a position of choice compared to other North African workers. This collaboration also benefits Morocco, both economically and culturally, although, according to Zine, it would be relevant to think of incentive mechanisms to encourage these workers, especially women, to invest the funds they earn in sustainable and income-generating projects.

A long-term challenge

Abdelkrim Belkandouz, a researcher specializing in the field of migration, recalls that the deficit of agricultural labor in France is not new and that the sending of Moroccan workers to France has never stopped, despite restrictive migration and visa policies. France, like other European countries, continues to rely on this labor force to support its agricultural sector.

Belkandouz stresses the importance for Morocco to defend the rights of seasonal workers abroad, by ensuring decent working conditions and advocating for their economic and social rights in negotiations with host countries. He also calls for moving beyond the approach that sees sending seasonal workers abroad as a simple solution to reduce unemployment or generate income, and for developing an integrated national strategy that takes into account the rights of all migrants, including agricultural workers.

In short, the relationship between France and Morocco in terms of agricultural labor is based on a fragile balance, where economic interests, workers’ rights and migration policies must be carefully harmonized to ensure a lasting and beneficial collaboration for both nations.

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