"Bloodbath" on the Morocco-Spain border

Jul 01 2022 Jamie Goldstein

According to Moroccan state television, 23 Africans were killed attempting to cross one of Europe’s two land borders with Africa as approximately 2,000 migrants — predominantly sub-Saharan — attempted to cross into Melilla, Spain.

According to Moroccan state television, 23 Africans were killed attempting to cross one of Europe’s two land borders with Africa as approximately 2,000 migrants — predominantly sub-Saharan — attempted to cross into Melilla, Spain.

Reports from non-government organizations working in the area claim that the death toll is actually higher. Earlier this week, Helena Maleno Garzón who works with Walking Borders said that they’ve “confirmed 37 deaths in the Melilla tragedy.”

“It was horrible,” said Mohamed, one of 133 survivors who observed the tragedy after crossing the chain link fence separating Morocco from Spain. “It was a bloodbath. Many of them appeared dead and many were injured.”

Pedro Sánchez justified the massacre, calling the migrant crossing a “violent assault” which he blamed on the “mafias that traffic in human beings”.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I am shocked by the violence on the Nador-Melilla border on Friday which resulted in the deaths of dozens of migrants & asylum seekers.<br><br>The use of excessive force is unacceptable, and the human rights and dignity of people on the move must be prioritized by countries.</p>— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) <a href="https://twitter.com/antonioguterres/status/1541992352046370817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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Mohamed refutes this claim stating, “There are no mafias. We don’t have money to pay them. We organize ourselves.”

Acting deputy director of Human Rights Watch for Europe and Central Asia, Judith Sunderland said:

“Video and photographs show bodies strewn on the ground in pools of blood, Moroccan security forces kicking and beating people, and Spanish Guardia Civil launching teargas at men clinging to fences. Officials in Spain, Morocco, and the European Union should condemn this violence and ensure effective, impartial investigations to bring justice for those who lost their lives.”

According to the Spanish Commission for Refugees, a large portion of those who attempted to cross the border last week were seeking asylum as they fled from violence in Sudan. This raises concerns that the bloodbath has either killed, injured, or impeded individuals who are or should have been eligible for international protection.

UN secretary general, António Guterres, said on Wednesday, “I am shocked by the violence on the Nador-Melilla border on Friday which resulted in the deaths of dozens of migrants and asylum seekers. The use of excessive force is unacceptable, and the human rights and dignity of people on the move must be prioritized by countries.”

Sunderland also said that “unless there is a rethinking of EU migration policies which are based right now on deterrence, externalization, and outsourcing to third countries like Morocco, Libya and Turkey, it is almost inevitable this will happen again.”