Moroccan authorities and human rights groups are investigating the deaths of nine African migrants found frozen near the Algeria-Morocco border. Seven men and two women were discovered in Ras Asfour, a remote mountainous area notorious for winter temperatures plunging below freezing, according to the Moroccan Association of Human Rights. One victim was identified as being from Guinea, while the others hailed from various sub-Saharan African countries. Authorities have yet to release full identities. Six of the deceased were buried last week, and two remain in custody at the request of relatives.
Rights groups criticized the tragedy as a violation of freedom of movement and called for safer migration pathways. Morocco, a key transit country for migrants attempting to reach Europe, particularly Spain’s enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, often sees thousands attempting dangerous crossings each year, by land or via the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands. European Union security agreements have bolstered Morocco’s ability to curb illegal crossings, but many migrants remain stranded for months or years, relying on informal work or aid. Human rights organizations are urging Morocco to adopt more humane border policies, decriminalize illegal migration, and implement mechanisms to track missing migrants, in hopes of preventing similar deaths in the future.
