Several residents of Bouznika Plage have received formal notices ordering them to vacate the plots occupied by their homes by 15 September, according to the Bouznika Plage Association (ABP). The notices were delivered by bailiffs at the request of the Provincial Directorate of Equipment of Benslimane, the association said. Residents have also been asked to return the sites to their original condition before handing them back to the authority responsible for the public maritime domain.
The notices come after weeks of speculation about a possible eviction of homes at the beach.
The ABP said it was gathering documents and preparing a legal response on behalf of affected residents.
The dispute centres on the legal status of the land. The association says occupation permits issued in 1994 were granted for 20 years, with the possibility of renewal. It says residents were encouraged at the time to invest in their homes and help develop the beach’s infrastructure.
The association disputes the authorities’ classification of the plots as part of Morocco’s public maritime domain.
It says a topographical study and a court-appointed expert assessment indicate that the homes concerned stand on land registered as part of the state’s private domain, rather than the public maritime domain.
The ABP has also challenged the boundary established by a 31 May 2022 decree defining the public maritime domain. It argues that the boundary was based on an older plan from the 1990s and does not accurately reflect the rules governing the demarcation of the maritime domain.
According to the association, objections raised by residents and the State Domains Directorate led the Equipment Department to seek arbitration from the head of government. No decision has yet been issued, it said.
The association has also reported administrative difficulties since its extraordinary general meeting on 31 July 2022, including problems obtaining official receipts, organising meetings and operating its bank accounts.
Following the eviction notices, the ABP said it had brought in legal advisers in Benslimane, Rabat and Casablanca.
However, residents will have to take any necessary legal action themselves, either individually or collectively, as the association cannot directly represent them in court.
A draft response to the notices is expected to be submitted to members after being reviewed by the appointed lawyers. The association also plans to write to the Equipment Minister seeking clarification.
The ABP says those affected include several retirees who have made the homes their main residences.
