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Rabat — Morocco’s National Human Rights Council (CNDH) said it has launched an investigation into potential violations of rights during irregular migration attempts in the M’diq-Fnideq region.
In a statement on Thursday, the council called on any individuals who believe they may have been subjected to human rights violations during these attempts to engage in the investigation.
The council said those affected are encouraged to contact [email protected] via email, or by phone at 0537540033.
CNDH emphasized that its team from the Regional Human Rights Commission in Tangier-Tetouan Al Hoceima will observe the trials of individuals who have been referred to the public prosecutor as well as whom are being prosecuted in custody.
The statement also reiterated the council’s commitment to monitoring the multiple irregular migration attempts by many—including Moroccans—seeking to cross the border in the M’diq-Fnideq region.
A viral campaign rapidly gained traction on social media weeks ago, encouraging youth to participate in a mass irregular migration attempt which happened on September 15.
The campaign received responses from hundreds of young people from Morocco, sub-Saharan countries, Algeria, and various other nationalities, all attempting to cross the border into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
The situation resulted in incidents of vandalism, riots, and clashes with police, including people throwing stones at security forces.
The issue raised significant concerns, particularly regarding the potential for human rights violations.
Many observers expressed alarm as videos and photos circulated on social media, depicting the chaotic scenes of the attempted crossings.
The situation was also marred by the dissemination of fake news and misleading images unrelated to the mass irregular migration attempts.
One such image in question is of a group of half-naked men detained near an auxiliary forces truck. This image quickly went viral on international media, raising alarm and questions as to if these were the Moroccan youth attempting the crossing.
In response, the public prosecutor in northern Morocco launched an investigation. Sources in the region emphasized that these scenes do not pertain to September 15 mass crossing attempts.
Amid the chaos, it was not until Thursday that the government issued an official statement about the situation, prompting concerns and citizens’ remarks against lack of communication within the cabinet.
Government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas said that 152 individuals have been prosecuted for inciting irregular migration.
In response to journalists’ questions about the Fnideq events, Baitas stated, “Some youths are being incited by unknown entities through the exploitation of social media to mobilize them for irregular migration.”
Baitas also emphasized that irregular migration is a widespread issue, one that the government must address fully.
