Wednesday

31st May 2023

Spain denies any responsibility in Melilla migrant deaths

Listen to article

The Spanish government denies any responsibility over the deaths of some 23 people who attempted to cross from Morocco into its north African Melilla enclave last summer.

Spanish interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told MEPs on Wednesday (22 March) that the over 1,700 who attempted to enter Melilla in June of last year did so through force and violence.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

"They were using a sticks and stones to attack the Moroccan and Spanish forces," he said.

But a subsequent investigation by the BBC said migrants use sticks to help them scale the three fences that separate Morocco from Melilla.

The investigation also found that lifeless bodies had been dragged by Moroccan police from areas that were Spanish controlled.

Some had been fired at by Spanish police with rubber bullets and gas while attempting to scale the fences, one migrant told the BBC.

Although the figure is likely higher, at least 23 were confirmed dead by the Moroccan forces.

Grande-Marlaska insisted that no deaths took place on Spanish soil and said the BBC had since "rectified its report".

He said Spain's public prosecutor drew the same conclusion after a nine-month investigation.

"This was a tragedy that should never have happened," he said, noting that 134 managed to cross and claim asylum.

But Amnesty International, in a 66-page report published last December, sheds doubt on Grande-Marlaska's version of events.

They said that the methods used by Moroccan and Spanish authorities at the "Barrio Chino" border contributed to the deaths of at least 37 people.

Others who were injured had been left unattended in the full glare of the sun for eight hours without any basic medical assistance.

"Spanish authorities did not assist in any way the injured people who were left on the ground in Spanish territory after the police operation ended," says the report. Another 77 people remain missing and are unaccounted for.

The NGO also says Moroccan security forces had violently raided informal camps near the enclave in the lead up to the attempted crossing.

Months later, the Spanish state granted Morocco another €30m to help Rabat stem irregular migration and human trafficking.

For its part, the European Commission is pouring large amounts of money into Morocco.

Earlier this month, EU commission Olivér Várhelyi, signed a €624m package with Rabat. Of that, some €152m is for migration.

The commission had also launched an anti-smuggling operational partnership with Morocco last July, shortly after 23 people died trying to enter Melilla.

Spain accused of Melilla migrant death cover up

Spanish authorities are being accused of a cover up over the deaths of dozens of refugees at its Melilla enclave with Morocco. Some 23 were confirmed dead and another 77 remain missing after around 1,500 tried to enter the enclave.

EU defends Spain, after thousands enter Ceuta enclave

Spain has warned of a "serious crisis" for Europe after some 6,000 people entered Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in northern Morocco. The European Commission has voiced its support for Spain as diplomatic tensions with Rabat heat up.

EU relying on 'ineffective' Greek body to probe pushback video

The European Commission says it cannot act on latest revelations by the New York Times of illegal pushbacks of asylum-seekers until authorities in Greece first conduct a national investigation. Critics say those same authorities are politically compromised and ineffective.

Latest News

  1. Europe's TV union wooing Lavrov for splashy interview
  2. ECB: eurozone home prices could see 'disorderly' fall
  3. Adapting to Southern Europe's 'new normal' — from droughts to floods
  4. Want to stop forced migration from West Africa? Start by banning bottom trawling
  5. Germany unsure if Orbán fit to be 'EU president'
  6. EU Parliament chief given report on MEP abuse 30 weeks before sanction
  7. EU clashes over protection of workers exposed to asbestos
  8. EU to blacklist nine Russians over jailing of dissident

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  2. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  3. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics
  6. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us