Spanish Prime Minister (PM) Pedro Sánchez on Saturday denounced an attempt by hundreds of migrants to cross into its enclave of Melilla from Morocco, calling it an attack on its “territorial integrity” as dozens of migrants died during the rush at the border. In addition to the migrants, at least 49 Spanish border guards sustained minor injuries while trying to prevent migrants from entering the enclave.
“If there is anyone responsible for everything that appears to have taken place at that border, it is the mafias that traffic in human beings,” Sánchez said while criticising the “violent assault.”
His statements came after thousands of African migrants tried to scale the border fence from the Moroccan side on Friday. According to the latest reports, at least 37 people have died so far, while around 500 individuals managed to cross the fence and slip into the enclave. Several independent reports have also put the death toll at 87 and higher.
#UPDATE More than 400 migrants stormed the border of Spain's Melilla enclave from Morocco on Friday, and a "significant number" managed to get in, the Spanish government said pic.twitter.com/xTPFqKeWY8
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) June 24, 2022
Moroccan authorities claimed that the deaths were a result of a stampede as thousands rushed to climb the fence. Furthermore, the Interior Ministry said that 76 Moroccan civilians and 140 security forces were injured during the incident. According to Moroccan media, many of the migrants attacked border guards with several weapons, including acid and knives.
However, the United Nations (UN) expressed serious concerns over the death of migrants. In a joint statement released on Saturday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed “profound sadness and concern at the loss of life and injuries” of migrants.
“[The] IOM and UNHCR urge all authorities to prioritize the safety of migrants and refugees, refrain from the excessive use of force and uphold their human rights,” the statement said. In addition, the organisations urged the international community to find “durable solutions” and “alternative pathways to mitigate the resort to dangerous journeys and reduce the risk of such tragic events from occurring again in the future.”
The AMDH has released another video in which they estimate that 27 people have died while attempting to cross the border from Morocco to Spain.
— BNN Newsroom (@BNNBreaking) June 27, 2022
We placed this video at the end because it is more graphic.
Viewers should exercise caution. pic.twitter.com/6oq4ay6vtt
Furthermore, human rights groups have demanded an investigation into the deaths of migrants. Moroccan Human Rights Association (AMDH) shared videos of scores of migrants lying on the floor, many of them unconscious, as Moroccan authorities stood over them. AMDH condemned the scenes and called for a “quick, serious, and comprehensive” probe into the matter.
The Spanish Commission for Refugees (CEAR) also blamed Moroccan and Spanish border forces for “indiscriminately using violence to manage migration and control borders.” The Catholic Church in the Spanish city of Malaga accused Madrid and Rabat of deliberately ignoring the plight of migrants. “Both Morocco and Spain have chosen to eliminate human dignity on our borders, maintaining that the arrival of migrants must be avoided at all costs and forgetting the lives that are torn apart along the way,” it said.
The incident took place just two months after Spain recognised Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region as part of a wider effort to improve historically strained ties. The move was seen as an attempt by Spain to garner Morocco’s cooperation in controlling the flow of migrants.
A significant portion of migrants from North Africa and the Middle East travel to Europe via Morocco, which gives Rabat significant control over migratory flows into Europe. Recently, Spain has seen a rise in illegal immigrants owing to the Syrian civil war and other regional conflicts. In fact, in May 2021 alone, more than 8,000 migrants from Morocco tried to cross into the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, resulting in Spanish security forces using force and firing tear gas to prevent migrants from entering Spanish territory.