Northern Morocco sees influx of sub-Saharan migrants amid summer crossing attempts

Northern Moroccan cities have been witnessing a steady influx of sub-Saharan African migrants in recent weeks, as many attempt to reach Europe during the summer months, when calmer Mediterranean waters offer a safer crossing route.

Authorities across the region are stepping up efforts to prevent migrants from reaching coastal areas and the border with the Ceuta enclave.

Security forces have been intercepting groups en route to the north, often stopping them before they reach departure points often used for irregular migration.

Hespress reporters observed plainclothes officers intervening over the weekend on a train bound for the north, removing a group of migrants at the Asilah station and arranging for their return to the cities they had originally departed from.

To further curb migration attempts, authorities have warned drivers of large taxis operating between Tangier and Fnideq, via Ksar Sghir, not to transport migrants.

With those warnings in place, many migrants have found themselves stranded and unable to reach coastal areas.

Security sources told Hespress AR that police in Tangier have also cracked down on informal transport operators who rent vehicles and use them to move migrants, often for substantial fees.

In recent weeks, several individuals were arrested in possession of rental cars while transporting migrants. They are now facing charges for facilitating and encouraging irregular migration.

Authorities have not disclosed the total number of individuals under investigation or prosecution, but Hespress AR sources indicated that ongoing operations are part of a broader campaign to dismantle human smuggling networks and prevent the exploitation of vulnerable migrants.

In a related incident, a rural area in the Fahs-Anjra province recently witnessed a car accident involving several migrants.

The driver fled the scene. Investigations later revealed that the vehicle belonged to a rental agency based in Tangier, and the agency’s director has been summoned for questioning.

Moroccan authorities have intensified their actions this summer in an effort to balance border control with the protection of human rights, amid growing pressure from both domestic and European partners to stem irregular migration flows.