Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2025

Moroccan probe finds 23 Melilla border dead likely ‘suffocated’

Moroccan probe finds 23 Melilla border dead likely ‘suffocated’

Morocco state-backed group says 23 migrants likely died of ‘mechanical asphyxiation’ during border crossing attempt.

At least 23 migrants who died last month in a mass attempt to enter the Spanish enclave of Melilla from Morocco likely “suffocated”, the state-backed National Human Rights Council of Morroco (CNDH) has said.

The number of dead – after an estimated 2,000 people, many from Sudan, stormed the Spanish territory’s frontier on June 24 – was the worst in many attempted migrant crossings over the years into Spain’s Ceuta and Melilla enclaves in North Africa – the European Union’s only land borders with Africa.

Adil El-Sehimi, a doctor who examined the bodies during a CNDH fact-finding mission, said on Wednesday that the victims had most likely died of “mechanical asphyxiation”, when a force or object prevents a person from breathing.

CNDH Chief Amina Bouayach said that a total of 23 people had died in the incident, confirming the official toll.

Migrants run on Spanish soil after crossing the fences separating the Spanish enclave of Melilla from Morocco in Melilla, Spain


In addition to the deaths, 200 Moroccan and Spanish law enforcement officers and more than 70 civilians were injured in the melee.

None of the dead have been buried and autopsies remain pending, Bouayach told a press conference in Rabat to present the initial findings of the CNDH probe.

Spanish human rights group Caminando Fronteras says as many as 37 people lost their lives.

Five days after the incident, Human Rights Watch (HRW) cited “reports that the authorities in Morocco may be organising hasty mass burials” of the dead, along with photographic evidence of recently dug graves in nearby Nador.

Describing the events of June 24, CNDH said large numbers of migrants, “armed with sticks and stones … split into two groups: the first stormed a border post closed since 2018 and the second climbed nearby walls topped with barbed wire”.

The dead had been crushed in part of a border post where manual turnstiles allow the passage of a single person at a time, the group said.

“A large number of migrants found themselves crammed into this narrow area, resulting in jostling which led to migrants suffocating,” CNDH said.




‘Inaccurate and incomplete’


The United Nations, the African Union and independent rights groups have denounced the use of excessive force by Moroccan and Spanish security personnel.

HRW said a video showed a Moroccan security agent “beating obviously injured men prone on the ground and another agent throwing a limp body onto a pile of people”.

The CNDH defended Moroccan forces’ actions, saying such cases were “isolated” and cited the danger posed by “the large number of migrants” carrying sticks and stones.

Information gathered from authorities, NGOs, and injured migrants at the hospital showed that Moroccan law enforcement officers did not use lethal weapons but used tear gas and truncheons to block the storming, the group said.

“Law enforcement did not use any firearms,” CNDH said.




Several rights organisations have called for an independent probe and condemned authorities on both sides of the border for excessive use of force.

Spanish prosecutors also launched an investigation.

The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) said the report is incomplete, and reiterated its calls for an impartial investigation.

The report “reflects the official viewpoint of a complex problem”, AMDH’s Omar Naji said, adding that his organisation will soon release its own report “in order to show the truth”.

The European Commission last week vowed to step up its work with Morocco to fight human smugglers who it described as using “new, extremely violent methods”.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
×