Hundreds of Moroccan Migrants Stranded in Algeria Amid Diplomatic Tensions

Speaking via videoconference during a training workshop on migration, Ammari stated that the number of Moroccans stranded in Algeria, including those detained and missing, has exceeded 682 people. This number could reach a thousand, as not all cases are recorded due to the difficulty of collaboration between the two countries.

In detail, 14 Moroccan migrants are serving sentences of up to 10 years in Algerian prisons, while 39 Moroccan women have been sentenced to one year in prison, in violation of the "elementary rules of a fair trial," denounces Ammari. The human rights activist reports that other Moroccan migrants have been placed in administrative detention for up to 14 months, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and international treaties relating to migrants’ rights.

Regarding the return of Moroccan migrants, it is carried out unofficially via the Zouj Beghal border post, indicates the president of the Moroccan Association for Aid to Migrants in Difficult Situations, emphasizing that the exacerbation of diplomatic tensions between Morocco and Algeria makes repatriation procedures slow, irregular, and non-systematic.

Ammari further specified that the closure of the border between the two countries complicates life for families residing on both sides of the border, noting that at least 28,000 families in the Oriental region have ties with the same number of families in western Algeria. The official also insisted on the need to accelerate the procedure for identifying deceased persons and returning their remains to their relatives, calling for increased media coverage of the situation of Moroccan migrants in Algeria and their sufferings.