Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Language Courses
There are courses in Arabic - both Modern Standard and Moroccan (Darija) - in most major towns in Mo-
rocco, with a high concentration in Fez, Rabat and Casablanca, where long- and short-term programs are
offered.
Arabophon
( 0535 60 34 75;
www.arabicstudy.com
;
half-day/3-day course Dh500/1500; 4-week intens-
ive course Dh4360) Intensive Moroccan and Modern Standard Arabic courses. Shorter courses are aimed at
travellers: the half-day Curious Explorer and three-day Serious Explorer. There are also courses in
Tamazight Berber. Lessons are offered in English, French and Spanish.
Jeunesse des Chantiers Marocains
(
http://perso.menara.ma/youthcamps
)
Offers language and cultural-im-
mersion programs in Marrakesh.
Legal Matters
Drugs
Moroccan law (
Click here
)
prohibits the possession, offer, sale, purchase, distribution and transporta-
tion of cannabis (known locally as kif). The penalties for possessing even small amounts of drugs are
severe, and include up to 10 years' imprisonment, with no remission for good behaviour, heavy fines and
confiscation of your vehicle or vessel. Acquittals in drug cases are rare.
Help & advice
If you get into trouble, your first call should be to your embassy or consulate; remember that
it's not unknown for local police to be in on scams. The London-based
Fair Trials International
(FTI;
4420-7762 6400;
www.fairtrials.net
)
provides legal assistance and advocacy to individuals facing criminal
charges in a foreign country.
Police
If you get arrested by the Moroccan police, you won't have much of a legal leg to stand on. It's un-
likely that any interpreter on hand will be of sufficient standard to translate an accurate statement that will,
nonetheless, play a vital part in subsequent judicial proceedings. According to some human-rights groups,
physical abuse while in custody is not unknown.
