ABSTRACT
In the writings about contemporary migrations, research presenting Morocco as a country of emigration and France as a country of immigration seems to envisage mobility exclusively from the South to the North. Even if it cannot be compared to the migratory flow of Moroccans to France, a migration from the North to the South exists, too. Indeed Morocco is a destination appreciated by many Europeans and especially by the French. The opportunity to have an experience offering a change of scene without feeling out of their element is the main reason why French people are attracted to Morocco. Morocco is an Arabic-French-speaking country, a few hours flight from France, with a nice climate and political stability. It therefore fulfils a desire for ‘nearby exoticism’ by providing French people with an experience of differences within reassuring colonial reference marks. The French can freely move between France and Morocco, easily build their migration project during their different stays and even leave France without a definite project. It is possible for them to settle in Morocco with the only objective to search for a better quality of life. Indeed, the migration channels of some French people reflect the views of some writings about lifestyle migrations: the key motivation for those migrations has been the search for something intangible, encapsulated in the phrase ‘quality of life’ (O'Reilly 2007).
