The decline in oil prices in global markets during the month of January, to less than $ 60 a barrel, against the backdrop of fears of the spread of the Corona virus, (contributed) to encourage Moroccan distributors to raise their imports of fuels with the beginning of this year.

And official data issued by the interests of the Ministry of Finance revealed a record increase in the quantities imported by the distribution companies in the Kingdom during the month of January, reaching 44.83 thousand tons, with a total value of 358 million dirhams.

The same statistical data recorded that the quantities imported by the same Moroccan companies during January 2018 amounted to 35.1 thousand tons, with a total value of 343 million dirhams.

And the distribution companies resorted to reversing the decrease in the cost of importing hydrocarbons at the final prices sold to the Moroccan consumer, starting in February.

The price of gasoline in gas stations in all Moroccan cities decreased, at rates ranging between 5 and 6 per cent, as they settled at levels of approximately 9.52 dirhams per liter.

However, this downward trend in oil prices did not reflect much on the price of gasoline, which witnessed an increase at the beginning of February, after stabilizing at the level of 11.5 dirhams per liter.

It is noteworthy that Morocco consumes the equivalent of 91.2 million barrels of fuel annually, or about 12 million tons recorded during the year 2016, equivalent to 91.2 million barrels annually and 250,000 barrels daily.

More than 20 companies distributing liquid petroleum products, including multinationals and national companies, operate in the Moroccan market.

It is noteworthy that oil futures prices fell more than 20 percent to their lowest level since 2016, on Sunday, after Saudi Arabia reduced the official price to sell its crude oil, indicating the start of a price war after OPEC talks with Russia failed to reach an agreement on reducing production.

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Asian migrants residing in Morocco live in a crisis situation, due to the increase in their hearing in the public street, phrases that associate them with the "Corona" virus, which first appeared in China, and some Moroccans carry the burden of its spread to all those who bear Asian features.

In Rabat and Casablanca, three cases of this type were recorded, as Asian immigrants residing in Morocco heard the phrase "Here it is Corona", by Moroccan citizens, according to Hayat Berhoh, head of the Solidarity with Asian Immigrants.

Although Morocco is inhabited by communities from different countries, and is a popular destination for tourists from all countries of the world, some Moroccans associate the spread of the Coruna virus, which has so far killed about 4,000 people, with Asian migrants alone.

"Moroccan public opinion should be aware that the two people who transmitted the Corona virus to Morocco are two Moroccans, not Asians," Hayat Berhoh said with emotion, adding, in a statement to the online newspaper, Hespress: "I have called the Asians living in Morocco to Corona racist behavior."

Hayat Berhoh called on the responsible authorities in the state, and the media, to work to educate Moroccan citizens not to be tempted to hold the Asian migrants to bear the burden of a global epidemic for which they are not responsible, warning that turning a blind eye to this behavior will widen the circle of "racism" towards them.

Morocco is no exception in the exposure of Asian migrants to "racism" due to the Coronavirus, in other countries in North Africa and the Middle East the same scenario is repeated. But Hayat Berhoh said that the country has made strides in improving the situation of migrants residing in the Kingdom, and that such abusive behaviors should not be tolerated for Morocco and the Moroccans.

Corona has started to be referred to as Asian immigrants, especially the Chinese, from social media sites, and later this embodiment of this behavior, which some describe as “coronophobia,” meaning Corona virus phobia, in fact, after the Moroccan health authorities announced two cases of HIV infection.

Hayat Berho said that the Asians were referred to as "Corona" by some Moroccans, not for ridicule. "They say these words in a serious way." She added: "There have been quarrels in Tunisia because of such behavior, and we do not want to reach this level of Tension between Moroccans and Asian immigrants. "

According to the head of the Asian Migrants Solidarity Authority, based in Salé, a number of these migrants have become covering their faces when they go out onto the street, in order to avoid hearing the attributes associated with the Corona virus.

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