Two years after devastating Melilla mass border jump, Morocco closes investigation concluding 'proportional use of force'

The Moroccan Prosecutor’s Office has concluded its investigation into the deadly events at the Melilla border on June 24, 2022, citing “absence of signs of crime” and “proportionate use of force” by Moroccan agents. 

This closure mirrors the decision by Spanish prosecutors, who found no wrongdoing by Spanish officials.

The tragedy unfolded when nearly 1,700 migrants, primarily Sudanese, attempted to enter the Spanish enclave of Melilla by storming the border crossing with Nador. 

The official death toll from Moroccan authorities stands at 23, while the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) reports 27 fatalities and 70 missing.

Moroccan prosecutors said their investigation demonstrates a justified response by security forces. 

“The intervention aimed to repel the attack, maintain order, and use proportional force despite the aggressive nature, large number, and possession of bladed weapons by the migrants,” said a source from the office to El Pais. 

Injuries sustained were attributed to the stampede and attempts to scale the fence, according to witness testimonies and autopsies.

Moroccan authorities included civil society groups in the investigation. In late 2023 and early 2024, the Nador branch of the Moroccan NGO AMDH provided their account of the events. 

On their Facebook page, AMDH recently reported the burial of some victims following instructions from the Prosecutor’s Office. These burials occurred after DNA sample collection, but the total number of those buried remains unclear.

Following the incident, hundreds of migrants involved in the crossing attempt were detained. Some were transported to other regions within Morocco, while others faced prosecution. Morocco sentenced 61 to prison terms of up to three years.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said that the Spanish Attorney General’s Office conducted a thorough investigation, finding “no responsibility on the part of any Spanish authority or official.”

The Moroccan National Human Rights Council (CNDH) concluded in a report that 23 people died from falls and suffocation. 

Last week, however, a “counter report” by Border Forensics and the Center for the Defense of Human Rights Iridia (AMDH distanced itself from being a collaborator) assigned blame to both countries.