Reverse Migration: Why North African Creatives are Returning Home

In the past decade, narratives of North African migration have been dominated by headlines of people at sea, fighting to make it across the Mediterranean. Sensationalist media has created a common assumption that everyone wants out, to live a better life in the West.

While socio-political and economic factors push many to leave, North African cities are also pulling back young émigrés who value community and cultural belonging over the immigrant dream. As we witness an increasing number of voluntary returnees, a new narrative of movement is emerging in North Africa: reverse migration.

“I wanted to move back to the region and specifically chose Morocco, because I really felt connected with the culture and way of life,” says Sally Ghaly in an interview with OkayAfrica — she's an Egyptian Canadian creative producer now based in Marrakech, Morocco. “It’s a cultural jackpot, a meeting point between Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, which all have significantly influenced my mentality. It’s also the perfect place for a creative producer. People here are excited to collaborate and build together.”

Ghaly was born and raised in Canada; she lived in Korea and Germany before choosing to make Marrakech her home. Besides producing, she founded Out of Office Creative Retreats — which brings together female creatives and, in its first two volumes, shone a spotlight on North African artists. “It just made sense from a creative, business, and cultural standpoint to set up shop here,” she says. “I’d highly encourage people considering moving away from Europe and North America.”

Sally Ghaly shopping in Casablanca, Morocco.Photo by Sally Ghaly.

Producer, model, and art director Rania Malek is one of Ghaly’s co-creators for Out of Office’s Morocco-based retreats. She was born in Casablanca, but her father’s work took her to Iran and Saudi Arabia. “I decided to come back for many reasons,” Malek says. “I wanted to witness the evolution of Morocco and do whatever I can to be a part of it. I felt that a lot of things were needed that I could provide. In turn, being based here brought many professional opportunities my way.”

As a co-creator, Malek offers the workshop Back to the Roots: Introduction to Moroccan Contemporary Art at Jajjah, renowned photographer Hassan Hajjaj’s dynamic gallery and restaurant. She delves into the local art scene’s global and historical significance through a collective discussion of Gnawa music and Moroccan cuisine.

“Everyone has an artistic side in my family,” she shares. “I was curious to turn it into a career and being in Morocco enlightened that part of my personality. When I was introduced to Hassan Hajjaj, I was inspired to pursue the arts and it changed the whole direction of my life.”

Lunch at Hassan Hajjaj’s restaurant Jajjah in Marrakech, Morocco.Photo by Zineb Koutten, courtesy of Sally Ghaly.

In Algiers, sports journalist Maher Mezahi has moved back home twice. He first relocated from Canada in 2015 to report on African football on the ground; after six years, he fancied a change and tried out life in Marseille, but quickly realized that he missed Algeria.

“The first time was a lot more exciting because of the novelty of everything,” he says. “But this time it means more because there's no novelty. You know all of the challenges and still move back because it's home.”

Algeria saw two waves of diaspora influx in the past decade: young professionals, entrepreneurs, and journalists who covered elections in 2014 and anti-government protests in 2019. While many journalists ended up leaving when a rollback of civil rights made their reporting more difficult, Algeria’s start-up market is offering possibilities for business-minded entrepreneurs to return. “Things are changing quickly,” says Mezahi. “But I still really find joy in the banalities of life. I had sardines for lunch and felt nirvana.”

Malik Elmessiry, an Egyptian musician, echoes Mezahi’s appreciation for his home country’s day-to-day life. “I am hoping to find what I’m looking for in moving back to Cairo,” he says. “Treasuring the little things that make a big difference, hanging out with friends and family on weekdays, having a work-life balance, and prioritizing my wellness instead of my productivity.”

He moved to New York City in 2018, to get a master’s degree in education and expand his networks. Six years later, he made a conscious decision not to chase the American dream. “Growing up we learned to idealize the West, its ‘progressiveness’ and prioritizing work above all else. After living that life, I don’t think it’s healthy and to me, it’s very clear why the West is facing an unprecedented loneliness and mental health crisis,” he says.

El Maadi, Malik Elmessiry’s neighborhood in Cairo.Photo by Malik Elmessiry.

Egyptian cycling activist Heba Attia Mousa had a similar experience when studying in Europe. Born and raised in Hurghada, she relocated to Berlin for her master’s degree in Urban Development. She decided to return after two years that had plunged her into an identity and mental health crisis.

“I’d never before been treated like an outlandish person for wearing the hijab,” she shares. “I was considering taking off the hijab before moving to Germany, but then felt I had to keep it on as resistance to the racism I was facing.”

Mousa was concerned that moving back to Egypt would strip her of certain freedoms, but she found that returning as a different person, having lived through her experiences abroad, was empowering. She settled into her new identity, decided to take off the hijab, and founded Tabdeel, an initiative to create cleaner, healthier and human-centered cities in Egypt and North Africa. “Life felt more authentic than in Germany,” she shares.

“With everything happening in Palestine, Sudan, and Congo, being surrounded by people who share the same morals and values gives a stability that I never had before,” says Ghaly. Elmessiry agrees: “It was a clear decision for me by the end that community is an invaluable component of life that gets eradicated in the West.” From Morocco to Egypt, émigrés and children of the diaspora are returning to North Africa in search of collectivity and, of course, sunshine.