Asociación de Trabajadores Inmigrantes Marroquíes en España

Asociación de Trabajadores Inmigrantes Marroquíes en España, commonly known as ATIME, is a Spanish association established in 1989 through an initiative by Moroccan immigrants living in Spain. Its central purpose is to defend the rights and interests of Moroccan immigrant workers and to support their social integration in Spanish society. The organization is based in Madrid and has also maintained a presence in Andalusia and Catalonia, regions with significant immigrant populations and important agricultural, industrial, and urban labor markets. ATIME operates as a community and immigrant-support organization rather than as a commercial brand. Its activities have included integration projects and programs connected with housing, education, and culture. These areas reflect the practical challenges faced by immigrant communities: access to stable accommodation, participation in education and training, cultural recognition, and knowledge of legal and social rights. The association’s work is directed primarily toward Moroccan immigrants in Spain, while its public advocacy has also addressed wider questions concerning immigration policy and the treatment of foreign workers. The organization became publicly visible in debates over Spanish immigration policy, including the government’s 2008 Plan of Voluntary Return. That plan offered unemployed immigrant workers a lump-sum payment of unemployment benefits if they agreed to leave Spain and remain outside the country for a specified period. ATIME’s president, Mohamed Kamal Rahmouni, criticized the policy, arguing that it portrayed immigrants as responsible for economic difficulties after having been welcomed as contributors during the period of economic growth. The association also conducted a poll in which a small minority of respondents indicated that they would accept the proposed arrangement, illustrating the reluctance of many Moroccan immigrants to give up their position and prospects in Spain. ATIME’s significance lies in its combination of service provision, representation, and public advocacy. It has served as an organized voice for Moroccan workers while promoting practical integration through community programs. Available reference material does not provide a complete account of its later projects, organizational structure, finances, or current geographic network. The organization’s president is identified in reference material as Mohamed Kamal Rahmouni.

ATIME was founded in 1989 by a group of Moroccan immigrants in Spain seeking an organized vehicle to defend immigrant workers' rights. Its establishment reflected the development of a sizeable Moroccan immigrant community and the need for institutions able to address employment, residence, housing, education, and social integration issues. The association is based in Madrid and has also been present in Andalusia and Catalonia. Its work has included projects intended to help Moroccan immigrants participate in Spanish society, with activity areas including housing, education, and culture. These programs place ATIME between a community association, an integration-service provider, and an advocacy organization. Rather than concentrating on a single service, it addresses several social conditions affecting immigrant workers and their families. A documented episode in ATIME's public history occurred in 2008, when the Spanish government introduced a Plan of Voluntary Return for unemployed immigrant workers. Under the arrangement, eligible workers could receive unemployment benefits as a lump sum if they left Spain and accepted a restriction on returning for a specified period. ATIME was among the immigrant organizations that objected to the policy. Its president, Mohamed Kamal Rahmouni, argued that immigrants had been treated as beneficial to Spain during economic expansion but were being presented as a problem during the downturn. An ATIME poll reported that only 8 percent of respondents were prepared to exchange their visas and return to Morocco for three years in return for the payment. The available material does not establish the association's full subsequent history, detailed leadership succession, budgets, or current program portfolio. It does establish ATIME's continuing identity as a Moroccan immigrant association in Spain focused on rights defense, integration, housing, education, and culture.

• 2008

  Opposition to the Plan of Voluntary Return

  [1]Asociación de Trabajadores Inmigrantes Marroquíes en Españaen.wikipedia.org

  ATIME publicly criticizes the Spanish government's scheme offering unemployed immigrants a lump-sum unemployment payment in return for leaving Spain and accepting a return restriction.

• 1989

  ATIME is founded

  [1]Asociación de Trabajadores Inmigrantes Marroquíes en Españaen.wikipedia.org

  A group of Moroccan immigrants in Spain establishes the association to defend the rights of Moroccan immigrant workers.

A community-based Moroccan immigrant association combining integration services with advocacy for workers' rights and social inclusion in Spain.

• Community and integration services

  Immigrant integration projects

  ATIME develops projects intended to assist Moroccan immigrants with participation and integration in Spanish society. The available reference describes these projects broadly rather than identifying a single standardized program or service package.

• Housing support

  Housing programs

  Housing is one of the areas identified in ATIME's integration work. The association's housing-related activity is presented as part of its broader support for Moroccan immigrants, although the available material does not specify the exact delivery model, locations, or eligibility rules.

• Education and cultural integration

  Education and culture programs

  ATIME's activities also include education and culture, supporting the social integration and community participation of Moroccan immigrants. Specific projects, curricula, and institutional partners are not detailed in the available sources.

• 2008Opposition to the Plan of Voluntary Return

  Spain

  ATIME joined other immigrant associations in opposing the Spanish government's voluntary-return plan for unemployed immigrant workers. Its president argued that the measure treated immigrants as responsible for the economic crisis and encouraged them to surrender their established lives and legal positions in Spain.

  Outcome. The plan was implemented by the Spanish government, while ATIME's position provided public representation for Moroccan immigrants who opposed its conditions.

  Source

• 2008

  Public opposition to voluntary-return incentivesStrategy

  Background

  Spain introduced a policy offering unemployed immigrant workers a lump-sum payment of unemployment benefits if they left the country and agreed not to return for a specified period.

  Action taken

  ATIME, through its president Mohamed Kamal Rahmouni, publicly rejected the policy's framing and defended the continued rights and presence of immigrant workers in Spain. The association also conducted a poll on willingness to accept the offer.

  Aftermath

  The cited poll found that 8 percent of respondents were willing to give up their visas and return to Morocco for three years in exchange for the payment. No further organizational or policy outcome is documented in the available reference.

  Source

• 2008

  ATIME criticizes Spain's Plan of Voluntary Return[1]Asociación de Trabajadores Inmigrantes Marroquíes en Españaen.wikipedia.org

  Regulation · Other

  ATIME president Mohamed Kamal Rahmouni opposed the Spanish government's voluntary-return plan, which offered unemployed immigrant workers a lump-sum payment of unemployment benefits in exchange for leaving Spain and agreeing not to return for a defined period. Rahmouni argued that the policy unfairly shifted blame for the economic crisis onto immigrants.

1. 1Asociación de Trabajadores Inmigrantes Marroquíes en Españaen.wikipedia.org