Migration and Identity in the Contexts of Migratory Transition: A Sociological Study of Immigrants from Sub-Saharan Africa in the Moroccan Society

Abstract

This paper explored the migratory experiences and identity strategies of immigrants originating from sub-Saharan African societies, employing a sociological approach grounded in qualitative empirical research. The study concluded that migration in African contexts is driven by the legacy of colonialism, the international division of labor, and the fragility of social ties, along with the desire to repair and reinforce these ties through migration as a form of existential adventure. Moreover, migration and development policies implemented at both African and European levels have failed to ensure safe migration, contrary to the promises of international and regional discourses promoted by global organizations and European states. These states are often identified by migrants as destinations for their migratory projects, based on the social, developmental, and human rights conditions shaped by colonial-era capitalist policies and post-colonial national elites. Such policies have rendered migration costly across human, social, economic, political, and relational dimensions, as evidenced in migrants’ lived experiences and their identity strategies aimed at achieving their migration goals and adapting within transit societies. The paper argued that rather than framing African migration as a social problem, states should collaborate to address its irregular forms. Migrants should not be viewed solely as victims of human trafficking networks, but as conscious, rational, and strategic individuals capable of evaluating the economic dimensions of their journeys. Their migratory actions reflect the developmental realities of their countries of origin, which result from colonial interventions, domestic political dynamics, and a profound loss of hope for the future. Migration thus becomes a personal and collective effort to contribute to societal transformation by reshaping individual and communal realities. The migratory experiences of sub-Saharan African immigrants are deeply meaningful social processes, shaped by their biographical trajectories and the dynamics of their social interactions. These experiences inform identity strategies aimed at achieving cohesion and social integration within the Moroccan society, serving as a preparatory phase for realizing migratory aspirations in Europe. Through self-mobilization, migrants strive to overcome deprivation of material and symbolic resources that would enable them to pursue life projects aligned with their personal aspirations. In doing so, they engage in existential self-management, demonstrating their capacity to choose a way of life and to struggle for self-affirmation within a global political climate that perpetuates vulnerability and subjugation, rendering human beings subordinate instruments in service of imperialist goals and ruling classes.