The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) denounced a wave of raids and arrests of irregular Sub-Saharan migrants, that the association said has intensified in light of renewed Morocco-Spain relations.
“Since relations between Morocco and Spain have improved, the repressive apparatus against sub-Saharan migrants has become widespread in different cities with mass arrests and transfers with different itineraries,” warned the Nador section of the AMDH.
The NGO details that the migrants who were arrested in Nador and taken to Beni Melal, while those arrested in Tangierwere transferred near the Algerian border.
1Those arrested in Rabat were taken to Marrakech, while the emigrants who were detained in Laayoune and Tarfaya (off the coast of the Canary Islands) were taken to Casablanca and Marrakech.
“These forced displacements aim to make life difficult for migrants and seek more funding,” wrote AMDH on its Facebook page.
oMrocco and Spain’s mended relations are now leading to the entry into force April 30 of a security agreement signed between both countries in Rabat, back on February 13, 2019.
The agreement between Madrid and Rabat seeks to tighten control on illegal immigration.
The renewed relations have also led to an extradition agreement of migrants who arrived irregularly to the Canary Islands, by opening two new lines from the Canary Islands to Casablanca and Agadir, in addition to an existing route to Laayoune.
The Spanish government expects the number of migrants who will be returned to Morocco to “significantly increase”, compared to pre-covid-19, according to sources who spoke to Spanish El Pais.
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