European Commissioner for the Interior, Ylva Johansson is set to arrive in Morocco, along with Spanish Minister for the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska on Friday to address the issue of irregular migration, reported Spain press agency EFE.
The officials will also hold talks about the European Union’s migration policy.
According to the EFE agency, Marlaska and Johansson will hold a working meeting with the Moroccan Minister of the Interior, Abdelouafi Laftit.
This meeting will take place two weeks after the tragedy that occurred on the Melilla border, following the massive attempt of irregular migrants to cross the fence.
Ylva Johansson said “my thoughts today are with the people who died in Melilla,” she said on her opening speech at the European plenary, according to a post reshared on her Twitter account.
“We must do everything in our power to save lives, we can only manage migration to Europe if we engage with partners outside the continent along the routes,” she added, according to the same source.
“To build partnerships addressing the root causes of migration, so people don’t feel the need to risk their lives on dangerous journeys,” she added.
“Melilla once again shows that Europe needs the pact on migration and asylum,” the European Commissioner for the Interior concluded, according to the same Twitter post.
The death toll for the latest irregular migration attempt at the Nador-Melilla border has increased to 29, according to the Moroccans Association for Human Rights (AMDH).
Nador authorities said last Friday night that 18 migrants have died when a stampede broke out earlier as thousands tried to cross from Morocco to the Spanish enclave of Melilla.
Of the 18 deceased, 13 died from severe injuries sustained during the stampede. Five migrants were killed during the storming of the fence and over 70 were injured.
140 police officers were also injured during the incident, Morocco’s Interior Ministry said in a statement, but no deaths were recorded among the forces.
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