Safety in Morocco

Sorry to hear about what happened to you.  Well I was living in Morocco the same amount of time as you. I have had about 7 or 8 phones taken. Also money and things missing when workmen come etc. once someone even stole toothpaste.  Funny thing is I never went swimming in the sea in Morocco as I had nowhere to put my bag and had noone to go with me. Once I was robbed at knife point in the Boulevard in Tangier. One gets used to it, yet hard to accept when religion gets thrown in your face and when Ramadan and Eid are probably the most risky times to be robbed.

I've always said there are so many scammers, thieves and so on, and that it's hard to trust anyone, and it's of vital importance to keep your belongings very close to you at all times, but used to get banned for those comments. I would intentionally sit by the window on the coach (after being told I'm not allowed to bring it on), to watch what is getting taken off from the holds, as I was fearful someone will make off with my luggage. And I wouldn't be surprised!

Morocco sounds like the land of thieves and scammers, I get this personalised review all the time when I am leaving London "Be careful of the scammers" thank you I'd reply.
But reality is there are dishonest people everywhere and guess what? They come in every race, religion, social standing, heights, weight and even species. On the positive side, wherever you find this type of people you'll also find the honest type, the loyal and caring lot.
So let's look on the bright side and give Thanks to all the nice helpful people in our life, don't watch the dark corner.

Mims80, you're Moroccan, aren't you?   

XB20, I can see why you'd think that based on my response. I am not Moroccan I am British and raised in London... Which is also a place full of dodgy, unsavoury and dishonest characters aswell as warm hearted caring people. Bottom line is I am actually citizen of the world and considering what is going on around the world, I think it's more important for us to unite and see the bigger picture rather than separate and criticise based on nationality, gender and race.

Just think, a European living and working in Africa is seen as an Expat... An African living and working in Europe is seen as an Immigrant and we wonder why there's so much tension in the air.

I do feel safe being in Morocco and honestly no different to when I am in London. No matter where I am I take the right precautions depending on the time of day, I don't leave my belongings unattended at the same time I don't flash my valuables around.

There is an air of uncertainty going on, I feel that the locals are not entirely happy with the changes and how it effects their lively hood. I've seen many local businesses and trades suffer due to the giant supermarkets, shopping malls, hotel chains and tour operators popping up everywhere. People here still rely on their trade to support their families and with change comes a huge resistance. Unfortunately with many foreign investors bombarding the country where will it leave it's people?
I also feel that as foreigners we have more rights and certainly more security than Moroccans do in their own country.. Again this only creates an us and them attitude, an unfair situation and the feeling of inferiority.

How can we then feel compassion towards their lives and for them to feel empathy towards ours? I say we need to open our eyes a little and Let's put our labeling aside and just see people for the person they are on the inside and not the vessel they drive everyday.

Peace

I am living in Essaouira, I have never had anything stolen, in fact I dropped 400 dh in one of the local shops in the media and didn't even realise I had lost it. The next time I went back to the shop they asked me if I had lost anything," no, I don't think so" well to my amazement they showed me a video of me dropping the money on their cctv and returned it to me. NEVER has that happened to me anywhere in the world and I have travelled a lot.
On the other hand, I live in the medina and this last ramadan I have been kept awake constantly by teenage boys playing football outside my apartment from 2a.m. until 4am 3 or 4 times a week. I have been on my own and to nervous to confront them, one woman v's 10 lads I don't think so. When my husband came back from his travels and asked them to please play somewhere else so we could sleep they got very mouthy and aggressive.
A single woman trying to deal with that kind of situation is impossible and can be very intimidating.
Apart from that my year and a half of living here has been positive, apart from the lads Moroccans are very helpful friendly welcoming people.

1 experience doesn't prove anything. Go out and drop some money again, and tell me if it's ever returned. Doubt it. I've lost my wallet here, which had my address in it, and it was posted to me. Though that doesn't mean anything. If I was to lose it again, quite likely it would be gone for good.

So sorry for your mishap!

In regard to other piece of information putting one place more at risk of theft etc. than another please remember:"The grass looks always greener on the other side!"

I live in the U.S., regarded as n 1 country in the world. I also resided in 6 other countries... Guess what?: You find thieves everywhere, even in Saudi Arabia where it's limited because they cut their hands in a public market.

So, your choice: Live in places such as Morocco, France, England, USA, etc. where you may have you things robbed occasionally, or live in a country where this limited safety comes with a price?  It's your decision.

Good luck

maco14

OK, your observations make sense. But do you know where all this sprouted? From capitalism and globalization. Please do your research before blaming.

Respectfully yours.

maco14

This is a great question and I look forward to reading other people's answers. I live in a small town outside Agadir so of course my experience will be different then those living in bigger cities, although I have stayed for months at a time in Marrakech as well and traveled throughout Morocco both alone and with my husband. First off I have to say walking around at anytime either night or day is a dramatically more pleasant experience when I'm with my husband. I'm not stared at, followed, or called after when I'm with my husband. I am left alone. This has been the most difficult transition for me moving to Morocco as one of my favorite things to do back in California was take long walks alone and clear my head. It's my favorite type of exercise but now I avoid going out alone completely and it has become a bit depressing to often stay indoors. I should mention while I don't wear a headscarf I am covered from ankle to wrist in clothing when I step outside even in the heat of summer. I do have white blonde hair but there's just not much I can or want to do about that. In places like Marrakech it's much easier to travel alone and very enjoyable when I'm with my family, friends or husband. I've had to modify my behavior and definitely sacrificed my independent nature when deciding to live in Morocco but over all I feel safe  because I don't put myself in situations where things could get weird. I had a couple alarming incidents when I first came to Morocco. Twice I was grabbed and sort of pulled off the road. Once toward a house once and the other time into an alley. While I would never say it was my fault because clearly that behavior is unacceptable I was walking both times off the main well lit street, in the evening, alone and that is just unwise to do here at least in my experience. So I guess with a modification of behavior and some sacrifice if like me you were an independent person then yes living in Morocco can feel very safe and pleasant. Agadir and Marrakech are the towns where I feel most relaxed.

Hello,
Having travelled throughout,and having my second home in Morocco for the past 10 years,
Morocco is considered to be one of the safest,and most liberal of all the muslim countries.
Although marked as "general threat" France,Italy,Spain,Turkey,Tunisia,and more, including the uk are marked as "severe threat"
There are many reports in worldwide destinations regarding tourist safety,respect the culture,traditions,use common sense,be alert at all times,and report any suspicious behaviour to the touristic police,your hotel,holiday rep.
Above all embrace the warmth of a wonderful country.
warmest regards,
aglou

If you wanna avoid troubles in Morocco, just avoid empty streets late at night, and when you are in a crowd, watch out for your staff, your phone or wallet can be stolen from you without you even noticing. I think that can happen in Marrakech or Barcalonia or any other part of the world. Cheers

I certainly don't want to come off as though I have not embraced the country. I traveled here a couple times before meeting my now husband who is Berber my lovely in law family most of whom live with us and my friends are of course Moroccan. I could write many posts on the warmth and generosity of the Moroccan and especially berber culture that includes both men and women. With that said it doesn't change the fact that some of the accepted ( though not accepted by Islam) cultural aggressiveness towards women isn't very pleasant. It's something I've discussed at length with many of my friends and heard local woman after woman talk to me about. Being sexually harassed is probably not be something that a male with his second home in Morocco can relate to as well so maybe this is more for the ladies. I 100% agree that this is one of the most liberal of the Arab countries that's why I don't live in Yemen. Also I lived in the UK, Sardinia, and Madrid and I just did not have that same feeling walking through the streets alone and no one ever tried to grab me during those five years and pull me into an alley so I hope that with the great aside of the fact that I generally love the country this one aspect is a great downside. It doesn't mean you shouldn't visit or move here as I believe it's worth it but it's still worth mentioning.

Thank you for the insight I am coming to Morocco to spend time with my boyfriend and his family soon , and after being in Turkey and the experiences I had there because of my blonde hair etc was at times quite scary , I will be more aware of my surroundings and the time of day like you I love to go for long walks to clear my head I see now that I will need to review things if at any stage I am on my own , nothing you have said has put me off just nice to hear a perspective from another female

I'm glad to hear that! Definitely don't want to put anyone off visiting. Safe travels and I hope you have a wonderful time with your boyfriend and his family:)

Best,
Ashley

Thank you Ashley I really can't wait

I felt safest in Essouria,even walking in the evening.(corniche) I also  lived beside the Salé marina and did not feel safe walking in the food souk there but the main souk in Rebat felt safer.There is a central *square* in Rebat(beside the air maroc office) It was a nice place to walk. Tangier and Casablanca corniche were safe,modern places to walk as well.
When my husband or my sons were with me,I felt much safer everywhere.......men did not stare nor talk about me *behind my back* (when I was in front of them) I speak fair darija so I knew what they were saying.

I am a female with long blond hair. I dressed in a knee length skirt or dress most of the time.

As a Moroccan woman living in Morocco my whole life, I didn't feel safe as  a child nor  as a growing up woman.  Sexual harassment and the risk of rape make you feel unsafe and scared to go out.  I minimize my outings  and while I love long walks I only do them when accompanied or in the corniche where I feel quite safe. And then thieves  usually go for women, we learned to not to take our phones anywhere and to not use it walking in the streets and in buses.
I can't compare the situation with other countries, but i visited few foreign countries where I felt safer than here.
We learned to cope with but that doesn't mean we don't suffer from it.

You are right kalluma  it is hard for agirl to live in a society like moroccan society but women need to be strong enough.

My wife is Moroccan and I am American and have been together for a very long time. We have lived in several countries and visited many others. We have been around so many wonderful people and tend to see the best and try to overlook the rest. Public safety and thievery are a concern everywhere, including the U.S. where you can be robbed at gunpoint.
  We now live part time in Morocco. I am a big guy and get hassled once in awhile when walking alone. I am taken for a tourist and enjoy the surprised reaction when I ask what they want in Arabic. I don't mind walking alone but more comfortable walking with someone else, if for no other reason than being able to relax and share the experience.
  My wife carries a small coin purse with her. Recently she had her pocket picked when riding a local bus. When she realized what had happened she started crying, not because of lost money (she would have gladly given her last dirham if asked), because of loss of trust. When the other bus riders saw what happened they quickly comforted her and offered money so she could return home.
  I have seen and heard of thieves being beaten and held for the Moroccan police. The locals don't put up with it.
  Unfortunately Western women who are used to being able to walk on their own and in casual clothes have to adapt. If a locally born, modestly dressed woman is harassed then the culprit has to be fearful of retribution from her family and even from individuals near by.  Western women appear more vulnerable. Please find a companion to go with you and enjoy your time out. Dress modestly and carry your money and phone inside your garments. There are a lot of wonderful things to enjoy here, including simple visits to the souk for vegetable shopping.

I have just spent the most fantastic time in Morocco down in the south part , the people were friendly , because I was staying with a family I got to see the real Morocco no touristy bits and I would go back in a heart beat

I'm a Moroccan citizen, and I'm currently living in Rabat. However, I've lived in Europe (including the UK), the US and Latin America (Guatemala and Chile) during the past decade. I've never felt completely safe or unsafe in any of the countries I visited or lived in. It all depended on the area, and whether or not I was accompanied.
Do I feel safe in my own country? Yes and No.
Yes, because I can walk alone during the day with no major problems. Obviously, modesty when it comes to clothing is important to avoid any unwanted attention.
No, because I do get harassed almost everyday. Harassment varies; it can be just a look, a word or an invitation to have coffee with the harasser. My reaction is often ignoring, and sometimes, I would refuse nicely, and they would go away. In general, I've never felt threatened.
In brief, the bottom line is to avoid going alone in shady places or late night. This could apply to any place in the world, especially in big cities. In small towns, it's less of an issue. I've traveled widely in Morocco, usually alone, and I can confidently say that small towns and villages are quite safe, even for single women. Some of the places I often visit alone include Chefchouan, Essaouira, Mirleft, Tingir,...just to name a few.
Peace!
Zineb

Hello everyone,

I removed some off topic posts from this thread.

I invite you to get back on the initial subject.

Thank you.

Christine,
  Thanks for clearing out the off topic posts. Safety is an important topic no matter where one travels and probably one of the most searched.
Warmest regards,

Good idea Christine.

Hello,

Again some comments have been removed. Can you please stop your fight here and concentrate on the initial topic?

Thank you.

I enjoy living in Morocco and usually have a good outlook on life here. I live in a quiet beach community and have been confident in my safety but a couple of close calls reminded me how quickly something can happen. I usually go out with another person during the day. There are others out working around their houses or going about their business and I have never had a problem. I always pay attention to who is around. I like making a quick trip by myself to a couple of small stores not far away.  Awhile back I noticed a young man starting to follow me. When I stopped at the store he stood down the street a little way. When I started walking back up to my house he turned and followed me. I was able to stay ahead of him, turned a corner and made it back inside my gate. He stood in the street looking around. When I asked him loudly in Arabic what he wanted he quickly left.
  Not long after dark this evening I went out to get milk. My wife told me to wait for my brother-in-law but I said I would be OK. On my way to the store someone turned and started to follow then stopped in a dark, secluded spot in the street and waited when I got close to the store.  He stayed there watching me until my brother-in-law came along before he moved off.
  A few weeks ago a French man was walking by the lake in the national forest located behind the community. He was robbed at knife point and had his face cut.
  Not long ago my brother-in-law took his 5 year old son on the local bus into the city. He is a fit Moroccan man. He was holding his son when a man sat beside him, reached into my brother's-in-law pants pocket and pulled out his money. Since his young son was with him he had to let it happen.
  None of this is unique to Morocco but it spoils an otherwise pleasant life. To keep it in perspective I also live in a nice city in the states. Our nicest mall has parking lot robberies frequently, especially near Christmas. I hear gunfire a couple of times a month from one of the few bad neighborhoods. And there are some drunk drivers and gas station robberies all amplified by the news. It is a very safe place to live but I no longer go out late at night. When I lived in Spain the car was left unlocked at night with nothing in it. If you locked the car the window got busted even if there was nothing to take.
  So now I will adapt. Take a taxi, don't ride the bus and have someone walk with me. Besides, I enjoy the company.

HassanMehdia: Thank you for sharing your stories so everyone can learn from them. I am convinced that robberies and mugging can happen anywhere in world. I myself was robbed of my belongings both abroad and in Morocco.
In the States I didn't even realize it, and once I figured I longer had my wallet on me, I was already 4 thousand dollars down from my bank and credit cards but that was still easy compared to being robbed in NYC at gun point.
As for Morocco, sadly it happened in Ramadan. Someone distracted me from the driver seat of my car while his accomplice sleekly grabbed my wallet and cell phone from the passenger window that were laying by the sidebar and vanished. Denmark is considered one of the safest countries in the world but that didn't stop one of its citizens to steal my passport and digital camera while waiting at a bus stop.

No matter where we live, one should pay extra attention and always be aware of his/her surroundings because face it, safety starts with YOU.