The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) holds that the "policies of marginalization exercised" by the Moroccan Executive over the population of the north of the country are at the root of the migratory crisis that has shaken the autonomous city of Ceuta this week. The NGO links these decisions to the massive arrival of about 60,000 people to Spanish territory through the Tarajal pier, an episode it describes as a humanitarian tragedy "instrumentalized" by Rabat and which, according to the Spanish Government, currently leaves 67 deceased, mostly due to drowning.
In a statement released this Saturday by its central headquarters, the organization "politically holds the Moroccan state accountable, and holds it directly and fully responsible for the catastrophic conditions that led to this mass displacement, similar to what happens in war zones and armed conflicts," and demands the initiation of a "serious and independent" investigation to clarify the circumstances and reasons that originated the recent waves of departures towards Ceuta.
CRISIS AND MARGINALIZATION IN THE NORTH OF THE COUNTRY
According to the AMDH, the events recorded at the Ceuta border reflect "a deep structural crisis and the culmination of decades of social and economic marginalization" in northern Morocco. The fact that so many people choose to risk their lives is interpreted as "a dangerous indicator of widespread desperation and a loss of faith in institutions, public policies, and the future as a whole."
The humanitarian entity denounces "policies of impoverishment and marginalization" driven by Rabat, "as well as constant injustice and oppression, which force citizens to seek better living conditions and a safe future for themselves and their children outside the country." At the same time, it harshly criticizes "the political instrumentalization of the migratory issue, through the use of humanitarian concern and the poverty and need of the majority of the population, including children and minors, as a means of political pressure or negotiation with Spain or Europe."
The association raises the number of deceased to 130 and mentions dozens of missing persons, although it specifies that there is still no official confirmation of these figures from the Moroccan authorities. In this context, it also expresses its rejection of the "suspicious silence" maintained by those responsible and the institutions of the Moroccan state before, during, and after the crisis.
For the NGO, the lack of explanations from Rabat "reinforced the creation of a state of comprehensive mobilization in most cities and regions to move to the northern cities with the aim of emigrating," thus feeding the flow of people towards the border with Spain.
After expressing their condolences to the families of the victims, the Moroccan Association of Human Rights also condemns, in general terms, "the growing rhetoric in Europe and the United States, coming from the far right, that incites hatred against immigrants and presents them as an existential threat to Western societies and countries."