▁of ▁residents ▁have ▁Ber ber ▁ancest ral ▁orig ins . ▁A ▁size able ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁is ▁identified ▁as ▁Har atin ▁and ▁G na wa ▁( or ▁G na ou a ), ▁West ▁African ▁or ▁mixed ▁race ▁descend ants ▁of ▁slaves , ▁and ▁Mor is cos , ▁European ▁Muslim s ▁exp elled ▁from ▁Spain ▁and ▁Portugal ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁Mor oc co ▁population ▁census , ▁there ▁were ▁around ▁ 8 4 , 0 0 0 ▁imm igr ants ▁in ▁the ▁country . ▁Of ▁these ▁foreign - born ▁residents , ▁most ▁were ▁of ▁French ▁origin , ▁followed ▁by ▁individuals ▁mainly ▁from ▁various ▁nations ▁in ▁West ▁Africa ▁and ▁Al ger ia . ▁There ▁are ▁also ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁foreign ▁residents ▁of ▁Spanish ▁origin . ▁Some ▁of ▁them ▁are ▁descend ants ▁of ▁colonial ▁sett lers , ▁who ▁primarily ▁work ▁for ▁European ▁mult in ational ▁companies , ▁while ▁others ▁are ▁married ▁to ▁Mor occ ans ▁or ▁are ▁ret ire es . ▁Prior ▁to ▁independence , ▁Mor oc co ▁was ▁home ▁to ▁half ▁a ▁million ▁Europe ans ; ▁who ▁were ▁mostly ▁Christians . ▁Also ▁prior ▁to ▁independence , ▁Mor oc co ▁was ▁home ▁to ▁ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Sp ani ards . ▁Mor oc co ' s ▁once ▁prominent ▁Jewish ▁minor ity ▁has ▁decre ased ▁significantly ▁since ▁its ▁peak ▁of ▁ 2 6 5 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁decl ining ▁to ▁around