As authorities ramp up counter migration operations, AMDH raises alarm over casualties

The Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH) in Nador sounded the alarm on Monday following the discovery of four deceased Moroccan migrants in Beni-Enzar, the Moroccan city bordering Melilla. 

The humanitarian group disclosed that “the bodies are currently in the morgue of the Nador hospital, awaiting determination of the cause of death and identification.”

Providing details of the incident, the organization explained that the tragic fate of the Moroccan migrants, potentially young and minors, found dead in Beni-Enzar occurred on the morning of December 31.

Despite speculation that the four migrants met died from a fall near the Balcón restaurant, the NGO emphasized that this version remains unverified, raising questions about the lack of rescue efforts.

AMDH-Nador said that the causes of the migrants’ deaths are still unknown but pointed out that the fatalities coincide with authorities’ operations against migrants on Friday and Saturday.

In the final days of 2023, AMDH-Nador highlighted multiple interventions against youths and minors in Beni-Enzar to thwart their attempts to reach Melilla. 

“Almost 30 youths and minors were arrested and deported under inhumane conditions to Casablanca,” approximately 600 kilometers away from Nador and Melilla. The NGO expressed lamentation, noting, “Not even a piece of bread was given to them.”

In 2023, there was a noticeable rise in migrants’ attempts to scale the fence or cross over to Spain.

The beginning of 2024 saw coordinated and intensive efforts to tackle irregular migration, particularly on the night from Sunday to Monday. 

In Nador alone, 175 individuals, representing various nationalities including Algerian, Moroccan, Tunisian, and Yemeni, were intercepted in their attempts at irregular migration. This information comes from a press release issued by the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces.

Border surveillance units, operated by the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) of Morocco, were actively involved in interception and removal operations in the cities of M’diq, and Fnideq.

FAR units played a crucial role in joint sanitation operations across the mentioned cities, leading to the interception of a total of 935 individuals gearing up for irregular migration from Morocco to Spain.