Algerian Migrants in Morocco from 1830 to the Early Period of the Protectorate (1925): Context and Limits of Integration in Colonial Morocco

Abstract

The study addresses Moroccan-Algerian relations from a historical perspective, seeking to examine an aspect of human communication and shared identification with issues of existential significance that remained the most prominent bond bringing the two peoples together, upon which their shared destiny was built. It particularly focuses on the interaction of Moroccan society with the issues of the nation, including Algeria, which was subjected to the brutal French occupation in 1830. As soon as this occurred, Moroccans took the lead in attempting to alleviate the injustice inflicted upon the Algerian people, sacrificing everything precious and valuable in the struggle to liberate their eastern neighbor from the claws and fangs of colonialism. To address the issue examined in this study, we adopted the historical method, which is characterized by tracing the event and its transformations within a chronological context up to the endpoint that we defined and explicitly announced in the preamble of the study’s title. The results highlighted the spontaneous and natural interaction of groups of Algerians with the hardships that befell them, as many of them sought refuge in Morocco to preserve their lives and property and to seek support and assistance from a neighbor that remained faithful to purely religious, fraternal, and humanitarian values. These people did not experience disappointment, nor did they encounter anything that disturbed the process of integration into Morocco and among its people. This reality raises the need to return to history, learn from its lessons, and build upon what can help overcome the challenges facing the nation, in order to achieve the desired renaissance for all countries and peoples, including Morocco and Algeria.