Ceuta and Melilla: a “Comprehensive” Approach to Migration


Because they are the only land borders between Africa and Europe, the territories of Ceuta and Melilla have become a transit route for people fleeing violence and poverty across Africa and seeking asylum in the European Union. Throughout the last decade, illegal crossings through the Western Mediterranean migration route have significantly increased. Nevertheless, both Frontex and the Spanish government have welcomed a decreasing tendency in 2022 with a 23% drop of illegal border crossings. Madrid congratulated Morocco on its “comprehensive and effective approach to migration”, displaying how much diplomatic relations between the two countries have improved.

However, these allegedly positive trends show a darker side. Migration-related deaths and prison sentences are skyrocketing in Morocco. On June 24th, at least 23 people died through the use of excessive force according to human rights groups, while 470 people were denied access to the border that day “without considering their national and international legal rights”. 18 people have been sentenced to up to three years of prison without parole. Since this tragedy, Moroccan courts have handed heavy prison sentences to several dozen people for entering Morocco illegally. Recently, on October 17th, Moroccan police arrested 25 more people on the move.

Those unlawful practices from Moroccan and Spanish authorities do not respect the right to life and the right to freedom guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (art. 3), the European Convention on Human Rights (art. 2 and 5) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (art. 4 and 6). Pushbacks from practices from Spanish authorities and pullback practices from the Moroccan police both go against the right to seek asylum guaranteed by the 1951 Refugee Convention.

According to the Moroccan Association of Human Rights, the recent high death toll and rising number of prison sentences are the result of the renewed cooperation between Madrid and Rabat, and Morocco’s new so-called “comprehensive and effective approach”.

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