Many are dead, once again, in the enclave of Melilla, where some two thousand people, according to the Moroccan Authorities, had massed near the border in order to climb the wall leading to Europe. Kingdom forces pushed them back violently, resulting in at least 37 deaths. Melilla and Ceuta represent the only European land borders on the African continent and are often the scene of repression. The mayor of Melilla, Eduardo de Castro, acknowledged that the assault by the migrants ‘was particularly violent’, but also denounced the ‘disproportionate response’ by the Moroccan security forces.
The attempt to enter Europe began at around 6.40am yesterday. Those who attempted to cross the border were mostly Moroccan nationals, but among them were also several hundred people from sub-Saharan Africa.
The management of the transit of migrants between the two enclaves and Spain is patchy and inconsistent. In May 2021, more than 10,000 migrants entered Ceuta in 24 hours, taking advantage of the Moroccan authorities’ decision to carry out fewer controls. A decision that provoked the recall of the Spanish ambassador in Rabat. To put an end to the diplomatic incident, Prime Minister Sanchez publicly declared his support for the Moroccan autonomy plan for Western Sahara months later.
Videos are from journalists on the ground.
(trigger warning for the vertical video: police violence).
