Government to compensate victims of cruise company scam job

Morcco's prime minister's office announced this Friday that 30,000 Moroccan victims of a job scam in a cruise company will be compensated for all expenses they incurred.

A statement released by the prime minister's office says compensation will encompass all expenses incurred by applicants for recruitment procedures, as the public agency for the promotion of employment and competencies (ANAPEC) pledged.

Meanwhile, it was decided to carry on efforts to contain effects of the job scam and take the needed adequate measures.

The measures were taken following the first findings of an investigation conducted between October 7 and 10 by a special commission set up following an inter-ministerial meeting held on October 6 under the chairmanship of former prime minister, Abderrahmane Youssoufi.

The commission was asked to investigate all the recruitment procedures, obtain information on initiatives and agreements related to the issue, analyze the legal and financial aspects and propose solutions.

Emirates' Al-Najat Marine Shipping announced in April job openings for 30,000 Moroccans to work on cruise ships and invited candidates to fill out a form and travel to Casablanca for a pre-employment medical check-up for which they were charged 900 dirhams - almost $80. However, the hopeful applicants had to admit the scheme was a chimera.

ANAPEC co-ordinated the scheme nationwide, along with five Moroccan job agencies contracted by Al-Najat.