Morocco: Deportations going on!
Moe | 14.10.2005 22:49 | Globalisation | Migration | Social Struggles
People from Africa are trying to enter Spanish territory; many have been deported to the desert, battle is still going on; death of several persons has been approved. Help needed.
By Ralf Streck: "Medicines sans frontiéres has now approved that Morocco "dumped" at least 600 immigrants in the desert. Some of them are suffering from major injuries, there are pregnant women and children without any water or food. The kingdom admitted yesterday that further 6 people have been killed as they tried to enter Melilla on Thursday. Fast deportations from Spain have been started in the meantime, agreeing with the Moroccon methods of letting human beings die in the desert.
"Spain started to deport illegal immigrants to Morocco, using "special regulations", announced the socialist vice-president María Teresa Fernandéz de la Vega during a visit in the Spanish exclaves Melilla and Ceuta, which are target for many immigrants during the past weeks. 6 further immigrants have been killed during her visit, some of them have been shot, as they tried to enter the exclave on Thursday. Five persons have been shot last Wednesday, as they tried to get over the walls, using provisional ladders.
It is not known whether the Spanish "Guardia Civil" or the Moroccon "Gendarmerie" is responsible for the six dead. The Moroccon Gendarmerie approved to be responsible for this week's deaths but the action has been taken in "legitimate self-defense" against aggressive immigrants.
The status has been further militarised during the past weeks. A third wall is being build, the other two are being advanced to six meters (19.86 ft), military troops have joined the Guardia Civil. "Further exceptional returns of illegal immigrants" to Morocco will take place during the next couple of days", said the governement. The special regulations are part of a treaty of 1992, when the socialist governement under it's leader Felipe Gonzáles and Morocco agreed to send illegal immigrants back to Morocco. The country should take back the people who came over Morocco but are citiziens of another country - in the case of Melilla and Ceuta, virtual colonies in the middle of Morocco, obviously a good deciscion. But only 150 Moroccons have been taken back in the past 13 years, as Morocco refuses to take more.
The wish to return the exclaves to Morocco is being discussed even more now and it is assumed, that Morocco used the immigrants to impose pressure on Spain. The Spanish MP José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero had to comment on this matter yesterday: "That the both exclaves are Spanish is not and will not be under consideration".
Time will tell what Morocco is going to do and if it is going to apply the treaty with Spain.
300 Africans who are accused to have tried to enter Melilla in the early morning have been arrested during several raids yesterday. They obviously belong to the already deported persons. It is not sure how Spain forced Morocco to accept the immigrants. It is only known that the European Commission agreed to pay 40 million Euros (~27 million pounds) to Morocco so that they can undertake measurements to maintain the boarders.
Using the fast deportations, spain wants to exit a situation which has developed during the past couple of years. Till now, everyone who could reach Spanish territory was allowed to stay for 3 months, giving those time to sort out their status and many seeked asylum. The person could have been deported once the asylum was denied, the country of origin has been determined and agreed to take the person back. Those criteria were seldom fulfilled. Many have been brought from the overcrowded camps in the exclaves to Spain. This allowed an unregulated but enduring stay.
"The special regulations outrage the Spanish constitution, which assures refugees the right of asylum", said the refugeecomission (CEAR), "Fast deportations don't allow the immigrants to file an application."
Amnesty International accuses the Guardi Civil of undertaking illegal deportations.
The head of the united Spanish left-wing (IU) Félix Taberna declared during a visit in Melilla "The incidents at the boarder show us, that the problem is economical globalisation and not a anomaly. [...] The problem has to become humanised and long range solutions have to be found instead of further militarisation."
"Spain started to deport illegal immigrants to Morocco, using "special regulations", announced the socialist vice-president María Teresa Fernandéz de la Vega during a visit in the Spanish exclaves Melilla and Ceuta, which are target for many immigrants during the past weeks. 6 further immigrants have been killed during her visit, some of them have been shot, as they tried to enter the exclave on Thursday. Five persons have been shot last Wednesday, as they tried to get over the walls, using provisional ladders.
It is not known whether the Spanish "Guardia Civil" or the Moroccon "Gendarmerie" is responsible for the six dead. The Moroccon Gendarmerie approved to be responsible for this week's deaths but the action has been taken in "legitimate self-defense" against aggressive immigrants.
The status has been further militarised during the past weeks. A third wall is being build, the other two are being advanced to six meters (19.86 ft), military troops have joined the Guardia Civil. "Further exceptional returns of illegal immigrants" to Morocco will take place during the next couple of days", said the governement. The special regulations are part of a treaty of 1992, when the socialist governement under it's leader Felipe Gonzáles and Morocco agreed to send illegal immigrants back to Morocco. The country should take back the people who came over Morocco but are citiziens of another country - in the case of Melilla and Ceuta, virtual colonies in the middle of Morocco, obviously a good deciscion. But only 150 Moroccons have been taken back in the past 13 years, as Morocco refuses to take more.
The wish to return the exclaves to Morocco is being discussed even more now and it is assumed, that Morocco used the immigrants to impose pressure on Spain. The Spanish MP José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero had to comment on this matter yesterday: "That the both exclaves are Spanish is not and will not be under consideration".
Time will tell what Morocco is going to do and if it is going to apply the treaty with Spain.
300 Africans who are accused to have tried to enter Melilla in the early morning have been arrested during several raids yesterday. They obviously belong to the already deported persons. It is not sure how Spain forced Morocco to accept the immigrants. It is only known that the European Commission agreed to pay 40 million Euros (~27 million pounds) to Morocco so that they can undertake measurements to maintain the boarders.
Using the fast deportations, spain wants to exit a situation which has developed during the past couple of years. Till now, everyone who could reach Spanish territory was allowed to stay for 3 months, giving those time to sort out their status and many seeked asylum. The person could have been deported once the asylum was denied, the country of origin has been determined and agreed to take the person back. Those criteria were seldom fulfilled. Many have been brought from the overcrowded camps in the exclaves to Spain. This allowed an unregulated but enduring stay.
"The special regulations outrage the Spanish constitution, which assures refugees the right of asylum", said the refugeecomission (CEAR), "Fast deportations don't allow the immigrants to file an application."
Amnesty International accuses the Guardi Civil of undertaking illegal deportations.
The head of the united Spanish left-wing (IU) Félix Taberna declared during a visit in Melilla "The incidents at the boarder show us, that the problem is economical globalisation and not a anomaly. [...] The problem has to become humanised and long range solutions have to be found instead of further militarisation."
Moe