Moroccan Students Fall Victim to Deceptive Agency Promising Prestigious Education in China
In a troubling turn of events, numerous Moroccan students have found themselves ensnared in a web of deceit orchestrated by a fraudulent agency in Marrakech, which promised them admission to elite Chinese universities. These students, lured by the prospect of studying in esteemed fields such as space sciences, paid significant sums ranging from 35,000 to 41,000 dirhams, only to discover they were victims of a scam. Their dream of higher education has turned into a nightmare, as they now languish in obscure cities in China, far from the academic opportunities they were promised.
The ordeal began with a collective journey scheduled for January 25, 2026, from Mohammed V Airport in Casablanca to a Chinese city where the students were supposed to be welcomed and officially registered at their respective universities. However, the reality was starkly different. Upon arrival, students were met with abandonment, as there were no representatives from the agency to assist them. Instead, they were relocated to inadequate accommodations that lacked even the most basic comforts.
Parents of the affected students have shared their distressing experiences with law enforcement in Marrakech, stating that their children were left waiting for university registration with no results. Despite repeated reassurances from the agency's management to be patient, the promised registrations never materialized. Instead, students were merely enrolled in Chinese language centers under deplorable conditions, devoid of any formal university affiliation.
Several testimonies from victims highlight the agency's dubious practices, such as offering a so-called "gold card" for additional fees, which was supposed to guarantee comprehensive support and enrollment in prestigious universities. Unfortunately, these commitments were never fulfilled, leading to a sense of disorientation among students in an unsuitable learning environment.
One parent recounted the harrowing experience of their child, who remains stranded in China without any registration or guidance, despite having transferred nearly 40,000 dirhams to the agency. This situation has caused significant psychological distress and resulted in a complete loss of an academic year. Furthermore, the agency's operator has reportedly evaded communication and even established a new company to avoid accountability.
Another mother shared a similar story, revealing that her daughter was misled into believing she would be enrolled in a space science program, only to find out upon her arrival that she had been placed in a language center amid chaotic and unsafe conditions, including drug use and other forms of misconduct that jeopardized the safety of the students, most of whom are under 18 years old.
This scandal is not isolated; it encompasses a multitude of students from various Moroccan cities, such as Marrakech, Meknes, and Tangier. Their families have reported handing over significant amounts of money, either in cash or through bank transfers, based on false promises of academic enrollment and support, only to discover their children living in deplorable conditions.
In response to the escalating complaints, the public prosecutor's office in Marrakech has intervened, with the prosecutor ordering the arrest of the suspects for investigation and hearing the complaints of the victims. Two individuals have been detained, while a third suspect has been charged with complicity in fraud and breach of contract, pending further investigations to uncover the full extent of this scandal that has rocked the public’s perception.
As reported by achkayen.com.
