HIBAPRESS – (Omar Razzini – Barcelona Office)
In many Spanish cities, where slogans of equality and human dignity are raised, thousands of Moroccans experience a completely different experience—the experience of silent exclusion and hidden discrimination in the housing market. Behind the bright advertising facades and the phrases "Welcome to all," suspicion, questions of identity, and rejection wrapped in compliments are hidden.
Shocking numbers reveal the size of the problem. Recent studies have shown that citizens of Moroccan origin face rejection rates in rentals that sometimes exceed 60% compared to others. Real estate agency owners and some owners do not hide their preference for "European tenants," while Moroccans are quietly excluded from waiting lists, or are told that the apartment "has just been rented." Real estate discrimination is not concentrated in one place. From Paris to Barcelona, and from Brussels to Madrid, the same stories are repeated. But northern Spain and southern France are considered among the most areas where Moroccan complaints are repeated. In Barcelona, for example, the community complains about brokers who change their accents as soon as they hear an Arabic name or Moroccan accent over the phone. Real estate racism is no longer announced aloud, but hides behind "neutral" conditions: requesting an unreasonable high income, or exaggerated guarantees, or requiring a permanent employment contract, which are criteria that automatically exclude immigrants. Some also face hurtful comments such as "We want quiet neighbors" or "We are afraid of large families." The effects of these practices go beyond the boundaries of walls and ceilings. Many Moroccans feel insulted and isolated, as if they are strangers in cities they helped build. Khadija, a young Moroccan woman in Barcelona, speaks about her feeling of disappointment, saying: “I thought that competence was enough, but I discovered that the name and accent still determine my fate.” This feeling generates a loss of confidence in society, and pushes some to live in closed neighborhoods, which deepens the gap between communities and the host society. Behind this discrimination lies accumulations of stereotypes and social fears. The media sometimes contributes to consolidating the idea of the "annoying immigrant" or the "different neighbor." Also, the absence of strict laws and effective control over the real estate market leaves the door open to racist practices without accountability. In essence, real estate racism is not just a matter of rent or housing, but a matter of dignity and humanity. The Moroccan who is looking for a home that embraces him does not ask for a privilege, but a simple right to be treated fairly, without being convicted by his name, features, or accent. It is a daily battle against a hidden wall of prejudice, a wall that is not seen with the eye, but makes its owner feel alienated in a homeland in which he dreamed of finding security and belonging
