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International NGOs have condemned the mistreatment of African migrants at the Morocco-Mellila border where more than 20 Africans died and scores of others were injured.
Amnesty International registered their displeasure in a statement saying all rights must be respected.
“The human rights of migrants and refugees must be respected and situations like that seen cannot happen again,” said Esteban Beltran, the director of Amnesty International Spain.
In a rejoinder, the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) released a joint statement condemning the incident that happened at the Morocco Melilla border.
“The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, express profound sadness and concern at the loss of life and injuries reported during attempted crossings of the fence between Nador in Morocco and Melilla in Spain on Friday morning. IOM and UNHCR urge all authorities to prioritize the safety of migrants and refugees, refrain from the excessive use of force and uphold their human rights,” the organizations wrote.
Multiple reports from different sources such as Al Jazeera are indicating that more than 30 African migrants lost their lives at the border between Morocco and Spanish enclave of Melilla. The migrants who lost their lives and the 150 who were injured, were part of 200 Africans who intended to cross to Spain to seek asylum.
Moussa Mahamat Faki the chairman of the African Union Commission expressed deep shock and decried the deplorable inhumane treatment that African migrants were being subjected to. “I express my deep shock and concern at the violent and degrading treatment of African migrants attempting to cross an international border from #Morocco into #Spain, with the ensuing violence leading to the deaths of at least 23 people and injuries to many more,” Faki tweeted.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said that these migrants were from Niger, Chad, Sudan and South Sudan and could be considered as asylum seekers according to international law. In a clip released by Al Jazeera there were scores of people lying down lifeless and others bleeding with Moroccan security officers standing over them. One of the clips being circulated shows a Moroccan police officer hitting one of the migrants lying down with a baton.
The cause of death has not been immediately established. Possible causes cited have been suffocation or crushing from the stampede provoked by Moroccan police.
