Moroccan authorities recovered four bodies of sub Saharan African migrants near the eastern Morocco Algeria border this month, according to a source familiar with the file, as local rights advocates warn the winter season has become the deadliest in recent years in the Jerada area.
The source told Hespress that between Feb. 1 and Feb. 26, four bodies were transferred to the morgue in Jerada after being found in the Ras Asfour zone of the province.
The deaths follow an earlier report by the Oujda branch of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights dated Jan. 17, which said 21 bodies were found on the Moroccan side of the border in the mountains and forests of Ras Asfour, in areas linked to the communes of Touissit and Sidi Boubker, between Nov. 27 and Dec. 31, including the bodies of two women. The association said its figures were based on field visits and contacts with local and official actors.
The source said three of the four bodies found in February have already been buried under the standard procedure, including autopsy, an order by the competent public prosecutor authorizing burial, and administrative steps coordinated with families when possible.
The fourth body was examined on Feb. 20, the source said, adding it was found in an advanced state of decomposition. The source said the examining doctor noted the level of decomposition could indicate the person may belong to the earlier group of deaths recorded at the start of the current winter season.
The source said most bodies arriving at the Jerada morgue are unidentified because migrants often lack identity papers.
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