Algeria-Morocco Border: Zouj Bghal Opens for 42 Prisoners, but 500 Cases Remain Pending

The case of Moroccans detained in Algeria is seeing a new development. After the recent release of 25 people, 42 individuals were able to return to national territory this Thursday. However, this movement is part of a much broader humanitarian dispute: the Moroccan Association for Assistance to Migrants in Difficult Situations still has more than 550 active cases, including missing persons or serving long prison sentences, sometimes exceeding ten years.

The operation carried out this week at Zouj Bghal responded to strict security requirements. The competent services coordinated the reception to regularize the administrative situation of the arrivals directly on site. The authorities present this initiative as a humanitarian measure intended to deal with pending cases requiring specific intervention to ensure the safety of individuals.

This case-by-case management does not resolve the entire backlog. Associations continue to demand lasting solutions for the many nationals awaiting trial or transfer, as well as for the repatriation of remains, as in the case of the young Yassine D., an emblematic case followed by activist associations.