Morocco and Western Sahara

Christian missionaries were active in Morocco under French colonial rule, and an indigenous Moroccan church, primarily meeting in house churches, emerged in the late 1960s following independence. In the early 2000s, there was a climate of increasing liberalization until the sudden deportation of 150 foreign Christians in 2010. As of 2015, there were only 34,800 adherents of the Christian religion, or 0.1% of the total population. They are allowed to practice their faith in private only and face considerable cultural pressure. The disputed political status of the Western Sahara (also called the Moroccan Sahara) and resulting refugees are a major issue in Morocco.