Rabat – Human rights activists have criticized Moroccan authorities for sending away immigrants near the Melilla borders in Spain.
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) said on Sunday that authorities have resorted to mass arrests and deportations in their quest to protect the borders with the Spanish controlled Melilla region.
Recent improvements in Moroccan and Spanish relations have put the subject of irregular migration back into the spotlight. Morocco has been upping its efforts to help its European allies control the stream of immigrants.
The AMDH said that most of the arrested migrants in the Nador region, which borders Melilla, get deported to Beni-Mellal.
The human rights organization said that the recent agreements between Rabat and Madrid could end up affecting the status of migrants in the country in a negative way, as measures against irregular migration are expected to get harsher.
Melilla is a popular spot for irregular migrants, particularly those who come from Sub Saharan Africa escaping civil conflicts and wars, as it presents an opportunity to get into an EU territory via land borders.
Moroccan authorities have worked with Spanish authorities for decades to protect the Ceuta and Melilla borders, regularly performing operations to bust migrants and monitoring the borders heavily.
Spanish relations with Morocco have been improving recently, as the European country in March expressed its support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara.
The declaration was followed by a visit to Morocco from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, along with other Spanish officials, where they met with King Mohamed VI and other Moroccan figures.
Spanish politicians have expressed optimism on the future of the relations between the two countries, saying that they are about “to enter a new era.”
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