Morocco Accused of Mass Arrests and Forced Relocations of Sub-Saharan Migrants

"Since the resumption of relations between Morocco and Spain, the repressive device against sub-Saharan migrants has spread to different cities, with mass arrests and transfers to different regions," said the Nador section of the AMDH to EFE, specifying that these are "forced displacements" of migrants to "move them away from the borders close to Spain" and "make their lives difficult".

The migrants who were arrested in Nador, near Melilla, were taken to Beni Mellal, in the center of the kingdom, while those arrested in Tangier, near Ceuta, were transferred "to the border with Algeria," the association details. Similarly, the migrants arrested in Rabat were taken to Marrakech and those detained in Laâyoune and Tarfaya, off the Canary Islands, were taken to Casablanca and Marrakech.

For the moment, the Moroccan authorities have made no official statement on the subject. This denunciation by the AMDH comes just a few weeks after the inauguration of a new stage in relations between Spain and Morocco, in which migration issues and the fight against terrorism hold a prominent place.