Massacre at the Morocco-Spain border

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JOURNEYS to and through Europe for refugees and migrants, especially Africans, remain fraught with danger. Europe and border controls are extremely strict. At each border, there is a high chance of being arrested and returned to Africa. Smugglers hide migrants in trucks and boots of cars. Sometimes migrants get trapped and die there. Often, migrants have to cross difficult terrain on foot, including mountains, forests and rivers, for many days with no shelter and during winter, in very cold and harsh weather. On June 24, 2022, at least 37 African men seeking to cross into Spain were brutally killed and scores of migrants and police were injured in what Moroccan authorities called a ‘stampede’ of people surging across Morocco’s border fence with the Spanish North African enclave of Melilla. A total of 133 migrants breached the border between the Moroccan city of Nador and Melilla, the first of such mass crossing since Spain and Morocco mended diplomatic relations last month. A spokesperson for the Spanish government’s office in Melilla said about 2,000 people attempted to cross, but many were stopped by Spanish Civil Guard police and Moroccan forces on either side of the border fence.

Morocco’s Interior Ministry said in a statement that the casualties occurred when people tried to climb the iron fence. It said five migrants were killed and 76 injured, and 140 Moroccan security officers were injured. Thirteen of the injured migrants later died in hospital, raising the death toll to 18, according to Morocco’s official news agency, which cited local authorities. The Moroccan Human Rights Association reported 27 dead but the figure couldn’t immediately be confirmed. People fleeing poverty and violence sometimes make mass attempts to reach Melilla and the other Spanish territory on the North African coast, Ceuta, as a springboard to continental Europe. Spain normally relies on Morocco to keep migrants away from the border. It is a no-go area. A death zone. Many of those who lost their lives in the “unjustified” violence by the Morocco security force are Nigerians. They were killed like chickens by the Moroccans and Spanish soldiers. Unfortunately, till date, the Nigerian government is yet to respond to the incident.

It is unfortunate that Nigerians are always left to their faith as our government hardly car. Has Nigerian Ambassador to Morocco condem such act nor the African Union come heavily on Moroccan government? I think not. However, in order to understand the recent surge in migrants to Spanish enclaves in Morocco, one must understand the lopsided economic relationship between the EU and African countries. On May 17, 2021, about 8,000 Africans, including Nigerians, Moroccan and other sub-Saharan immigrants, attempted to cross into the Spanish-controlled enclave of Ceuta, located at the northern tip of Morocco. Videos of the massive attempt went viral on social media, shocking the Moroccan and foreign public alike. Surely, many believe those images did a disservice and caused reputational damage to Morocco, giving the impression that many Moroccans are waiting for the slightest chance to cross to the other side of the borders. The Spanish government and media have also claimed that this was a premeditated attempt from the Moroccan government to allow a breach in security, a claim that cannot be clearly verified. Whether this is in fact the case is a question that may never be answered.

Prominent Spanish media, which has arguably shown a historical bias against Morocco in its reporting, were quick to claim that Morocco is seeking to “blackmail” Spain and compel it to espouse Morocco’s position on Western Sahara. Some unsubstantiated claims about the role of the Moroccan government and the intentionality of the migrant surge have varied. Some reports have stated that local Moroccan employees in the Interior Ministry told the local population the borders were open. Still others have claimed that adolescent Moroccans were tricked into believing they could watch Cristiano Ronaldo play in Ceuta. Yet beyond the specific details of this isolated incident, there are also larger, systemic issues motivating these migrants. One cannot make sense of the Ceuta migratory crisis without factoring in the disastrous impact that COVID-19 has had on the Moroccan economy, especially in Morocco’s northern territories. Also relevant is Morocco’s decision, long before the outbreak of the pandemic, to close its borders with Ceuta and Melilla and crack down on the pervasive contraband economy there, which has had a deleterious impact on the surrounding region of northern Morocco. Taken together, these issues have caused thousands of families to lose their sources of income. Given these factors, crossing the border has become the only alternative for many in this region.

And while Morocco did stand as Spain’s third largest recipient of official development assistance in 2019, the assistance that European countries devote to Africa is practically nullified by the massive subsidies EU governments grant to their own agricultural sectors in order to keep them competitive. A number of studies have demonstrated how these subsidies have a devastating effect on the agricultural sector in most African countries, where farming makes up the primary livelihood of large sectors of the population. The European agricultural subsidies make African products uncompetitive at both the global and local markets. Morocco in particular has faced the effects of this lopsided global system. Over the past decade, Morocco has shifted from being a transit country to being a destination for many sub-Saharan migrants. With the closure of European borders, Morocco has had to address the situation of tens of thousands of sub-Saharan Africans who found themselves stuck in the country. In 2014 and 2016, Morocco launched two campaigns that regularized the status of 53,000 immigrants, despite lacking an economy truly capable of absorbing the newcomers.

To address these issues, Spain could invest in the areas of northern Morocco bordering Ceuta and Melilla. For decades, this region has suffered the disastrous effects of the contraband economy emanating from Ceuta and Melilla. Rather than encouraging the mega projects that Morocco has launched over the past two decades to foster economic development in the region, Spain has seen these attempts as aiming to suffocate Ceuta and Melilla.

Were Morocco’s economic situation bettered, Moroccans desperate to find decent job opportunities would think twice before migrating to Europe. In addition, Morocco would have greater capacity to integrate part of the growing number of sub-Saharan Africans who pursue their legitimate dreams to lead a decent life and provide for themselves and their loved ones.

As long as the EU and Spain do not put migration into its broader political, economic, and historical context, their security-driven policies will fall short of producing the desired outcome.

However, the EU should also open its border to legal immigration by assigning quota to each country depending on their needs for qualified and unqualified workers; in addition to lessening the burden on Morocco, this will also work to offset the ongoing population decline of Europe’s aging population.

In the end, Morocco and it’s Spanish neighbours will remain so. It would behoove the two countries to find a formula that could help them overcome their recurring misunderstandings, build their bilateral ties on more solid grounds and find lasting solutions to the ever-increasing lost of lives during migration.

In conclusion, the giant of Africa, Nigeria, should show and demonstrate quality love to her citizens in the Diaspora. For instance, so many Nigerians were part of the African migrants that were beaten to death by the Spanish and Moroccan authorities for attempting to cross into Morrocco/Spain bordering city Melilla on June 24, 2022. Around 2,000 migrants camped out in the Moroccan mountains and ultimately made their descent on the city’s border. They were met with unnecessary brutality, as the Moroccan border guards threw tear gas, and crushed and beat those who made it across.

Both the African Union and United Nations have condemned the violence, as supporters within Spain protest for those lost. Also, the Spanish Head of government Pedro Sanchez made a statement by saying it was the work of Mafias until he saw the video and he claimed he didn’t see the video at first before he made his statement. Till date, the Federal Government of Nigeria is yet to release any statement or take action as regards.

On Thursday, June 2, 2022, President Buhari, whom Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) describes as “the most Diaspora-loving President” met with Nigerians living in Spain on the sidelines of his official visit, pledged that Nigeria will continue to defend the interests of its nationals living abroad. He promised that on the part of the Federal Government, Nigeria will continue to aggressively protect and defend the interests of all Nigerians abroad. This unfortunate incident happened same month of June when ‘the most Diaspora-loving President’, the Nigeria president, came to Spain and made a promise of protecting Nigerians in the Diaspora, yet Nigerians have not heard anything from Mr President’s side. Too bad.