On June 24, 2022, around 2,000 immigrants and refugees from sub-Saharan Africa tried to enter Melilla, a Spanish city in North Africa, from Morocco. On the eve of the first anniversary of the tragedy, Amnesty International raised the death toll to more than 100, almost five times the official total reported by the Moroccan authorities. In addition, the NGO accused Madrid and Riyadh of an alleged “cover-up” in the tragedy, for not properly investigating what happened.
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It was one of the greatest tragedies amid attempts by thousands of migrants to cross into Europe from Africa. On June 24, 2022, the fence that separates the Spanish city of Melilla from Morocco was the scene of a massive jump of around 2,000 people that killed dozens of them.
The incident was triggered when the migrants, mainly from Sudan, South Sudan and Chad, tried to forcefully cross the border and a strong confrontation with the Moroccan security forces was unleashed.
But different human rights organizations such as Amnesty International question what they consider a belated attention from the authorities of both countries to the injured people. They also demand investigations into the alleged violent reaction of Moroccan officials who, they say, threw stones with slingshots, rubber balls and gas, as part of the extensive operation to try to stop the passage of these people.
Now, one year after what NGOs have described as a “massacre”, Amnesty International, a human rights organization, accuses Madrid and Riyadh of “covering up” for not adequately investigating the events that occurred on the border of the Spanish enclave.
“One year after the carnage in Melilla, the Spanish and Moroccan authorities not only continue to deny any responsibility, but also prevent attempts to find the truth,” said Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard.
Amnesty claims that the authorities did not attempt to repatriate the remains of the victims and did not provide a full list of names and causes of death.
“Lessons must be learned or impunity at the borders will continue”
In Spain, the Attorney General investigated the incident. However, he refused to accuse his country’s officials, assuring that they were not aware of the deadly crushing. And Spanish lawmakers rejected calls for a parliamentary inquiry.
But Spain’s Ombudsman said his country’s authorities returned those who jumped the fence without processing their cases and the UN Human Rights Commissioner said they found “genuine and effective access to asylum at the border.” .
Morocco has not determined the responsibilities of its officers either.
Given this scenario, the two countries have been strongly criticized by human rights groups and independent researchers.
“The lessons of Melilla must be learned or, as the shipwreck off the Greek coast shows, the arbitrary loss of life, violence and impunity at the borders will continue,” Callamard said.
Amnesty International raises the death toll to more than 100
A year ago, Morocco reported that 23 African citizens were crushed to death when they fell from the fence, while Spain assured that there were no deaths on its territory.
However, these affirmations are far from those of other sources that assure that some immigrants were crushed on the Spanish side of the border and abandoned without receiving medical attention, as highlighted by an investigative documentary by the Light consortium.
Likewise, this Friday, June 23, on the eve of the fateful anniversary, Amnesty International published that more than 100 people died that day, which is almost five times the official figure given by Morocco and that different NGOs have questioned.
Determining which side the deaths occurred on has also been part of the unknowns that arise from the case and that human rights organizations ask for clarification.
The authorities of the countries involved defend themselves. A spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior of Spain indicated that the investigation by the General Prosecutor’s Office was carried out “with all the guarantees and in depth.”
Amnesty reproaches these statements by pointing out that “impunity and obscurantism have been perpetuated” in the absence of adequate investigations in the two nations, which “seem to have agreed to hide what really happened that day and to render accounts.”.
Meanwhile, and in the midst of the multiple crises and conflicts that essentially hit the most economically vulnerable nations, the flow of migrants does not aim to decrease, but, on the contrary, is increasing by far.
On June 14, a report by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) noted that the world reached a record number of at least 110 million refugees and internally displaced persons. A situation on the rise in the midst of new wars in countries like Sudan and Ukraine.
Humanitarian crises increase and with them the flow of people who are forced to exodus.
With Reuters and EFE
