British Moroccans are citizens and/or residents of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

whose ethnic origins lie fully or partially in

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

Migration history

Mass migration from Morocco to the United Kingdom began in the 1960s, primarily consisting of migrant workers recruited to work in the hotel and catering industries. The community has grown significantly due to high birth rates as well as sponsored migration of dependents.

Population and distribution

The 2001 Census recorded 12,348 Moroccan-born people residing in the UK. 2009 estimates reported by the Runymede Trust suggested between 65,000 and 70,000 people of Moroccan origin reside in the UK. The

Office for National Statistics The Office for National Statistics (ONS; cy, Swyddfa Ystadegau Gwladol) is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the UK Parliament. Overview The ONS is responsible for th ...

estimates the Moroccan-born population to have been 34,000 in 2015. Outside of London,

Trowbridge Trowbridge ( ) is the county town of Wiltshire, England, on the River Biss in the west of the county. It is near the border with Somerset and lies southeast of Bath, 31 miles (49 km) southwest of Swindon and 20 miles (32 km) southe ...

, the county town of

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

, has the highest population of Moroccans in the UK. In 2009 the town became the first in the UK to be twinned with a place from a muslim country –

Oujda Oujda ( ar, وجدة; ber, ⵡⵓⵊⴷⴰ, Wujda) is a major Moroccan city in its northeast near the border with Algeria. Oujda is the capital city of the Oriental region of northeastern Morocco and has a population of about 558,000 people. It ...

– due to large number of resident families with roots in the town. According to the

2011 UK Census A census of the population of the United Kingdom is taken every ten years. The 2011 census was held in all countries of the UK on 27 March 2011. It was the first UK census which could be completed online via the Internet. The Office for National ...

, a total of 21,880 people born in Morocco were residing in the UK: 21,016 were recorded in England, 230 in Wales, 530 in Scotland and 104 in Northern Ireland.2011_Excel/2011/QS206NI.xls "Country of Birth – Full Detail: QS206NI"
Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.. Retrieved 10 October 2019 The National Association of British Arabs categorises Morocco-born immigrants as Arabs. Based on census data, it indicates that they are the sixth largest population of

British Arab British Arabs ( ar, عرب بريطانيا) are British citizens of Arab descent. They share a common Arab ethnicity, culture, language and identity from different Arab countries. Arabs also come from non-Arab countries as ethnic minorities. The ...

s by country of birth.

Notable British-Moroccans or Moroccans in the United Kingdom

Adam Gemili Adam Ahmed Gemili (born 6 October 1993) is a British sprinter. He is the 2014 European champion at 200 metres, and 4 x 100 metres relay, and part of the Great Britain team that won gold in the 2017 World Championships in the same event. He ...

: Professional sprinter *

Amelle Berrabah Amelle Berrabah (born 22 April 1984), also known as Amelle, is a British singer, best known for being a former member of the girl group the Sugababes, replacing founding member Mutya Buena, who left the group in December 2005. She achieved a so ...

: singer and member of girl band ''

Sugababes Sugababes are a British girl group composed of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy. The lineup changed three times before returning to the original lineup in 2011. Formed in 1998 by All Saints manager Ron Tom, Sugababes releas ...

'' *

Chico Slimani Yousseph "Chico" Slimani (born 1971) is a British singer who rose to prominence in the United Kingdom after reaching the quarter-finals of the 2005 series of the talent show ''The X Factor''. In 2006, he had a number one hit on the British c ...

(Youssef Slimani): Singer *

Houda Echouafni Houda Echouafni is a Moroccan actress. Houda Echouafni is a British/Arab actress her theatre work includes The RSC, The National Theatre and The Globe Theatre. Houda began filming Penny Woolcock's ''The Death of Klinghoffer'' in Malta while she wa ...

: actress (of Moroccan and Egyptian origins) *

Kamal El-Hajji Mohammed Amal El-Hajji, known as Kamal El-Hajji, is a British Security Official and civil servant. From February 2016 to 2019 he was the Serjeant at Arms of the House of Commons, replacing Lawrence Ward. He had formerly been the Head of Front ...

, (BEM): (Mohammed Amal El-Hajji)

Serjeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons The Serjeant at Arms of the House of Commons is a parliamentary official responsible for order in the House of Commons. The office dates to 1415 and traditionally included responsibility for security. The role is now mainly ceremonial. The Hou ...

(in 2015) *

Karim Zeroual Karim Zeroual (born 14 November 1993) is a British television presenter and actor. Early life Zeroual was born in London to parents of Moroccan heritage and was brought up by his mother. He attended theatre school in London. Stage and televisi ...

: Television presenter *

Karima Adebibe Karima Adebibe ( ; also known as Karima McAdams; born 24 July 1985) is an English actress and fashion model. Life and career Adebibe was born in Bethnal Green, in Tower Hamlets, London, England but grew up in Tangier before moving back to the ...

: Model *

Kieran Djilali Kieran Stephen Larbi Allen-Djilali (born 22 January 1991), more commonly known as Kieran Djilali, is an English footballer who plays for Three Bridges. Club career Crystal Palace and loans Born in Lambeth, London, Djilali came through the a ...

: Professional football player *

Laila Rouass Laila Rouass (née Abdesselam) is a British actress. She is best known for her portrayals of Amber Gates in ''Footballers' Wives'' (2004–2006) and Sahira Shah in ''Holby City'' (2011–2012, 2021). She has also starred in ''Primeval'' and '' ...

: Actress *

Layla El Layla El (born 25 June 1977) is an English real estate agent and retired professional wrestler, dancer and model. She is best known for her tenure with WWE from 2006 to 2015, where she performed under the mononymous ring name Layla. She dance ...

: Model, dancer, and former WWE wrestler. *

Malika Zouhali-Worrall Malika Zouhali-Worrall is a British- Moroccan film director and editor. She is the co-director of the 2012 documentary ''Call Me Kuchu'', about Ugandan activist David Kato, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, going on to ...

: Documentary filmmaker * Mariah Idrissi: Muslim Hijab-wearing model, public speaker, and online personality. *

Moe Sbihi Mohamed Karim Sbihi (born 27 March 1988) is a British rower. He is a three-time Olympian and Olympic medal winner. He won a gold medal in the coxless four at 2016 Rio Olympics, and at the 2012 London Olympics he was in the British crew that wo ...

, (

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...

): (Mohamed Karim Sbihi) Rower and twice Olympic medal winner *

Nabil Elouahabi Nabil Elouahabi (born 6 February 1975), often credited as Nabil Elouhabi, is a British- Moroccan actor, known for his role as Tariq Larousi in ''EastEnders'' from 2003 to 2005, as Rashid "Gary" Mahmoon in " Strangers on the Shore" (the 2002 Chri ...

: Actor
Souad Talsi
'', (MBE): Founder of Al-Hasaniya Moroccan Women’s Centre

Associations

Al-Hasaniya Moroccan Women's Centre

Al Manaar Mosque (The Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre - MCHC)

Moroccan Memories foundation: Memories in Britain (Oral & Visual Achieve)

Al-Noor Youth Trust
* The Council for Arab-British Understanding
(Caabu)

References

External links

Moroccan StarMoroccan Community in the UK
{{AfricansinUK African diaspora in the United Kingdom British people of Moroccan descent, Moroccan diaspora in Europe Muslim communities in Europe Immigration to the United Kingdom by country of origin, Morocco Islam in the United Kingdom