The Border Forensics NGO, a Geneva-based non-governmental organization that specializes in investigating and documenting cases of border violence, has published a comprehensive counter-investigation report on the 2022 deaths of migrants and asylum seekers at the border between Morocco and Melilla, a Spanish exclave. Conducted in collaboration with human rights organizations Irídia and the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), the report titled “The Nador-Melilla Border Trap” aims to expose the full extent of the violence that transpired and challenge the official narratives provided by state authorities.
On June 24, 2022, at least 37 migrants lost their lives during an attempt to cross a border station in Melilla. The violence attributed to both Moroccan and Spanish authorities has drawn significant condemnation from international bodies, including the UN, which has highlighted the severe lack of safe and legal migration routes as a contributing factor (UN report). Despite the severity of the incident, both Spain and Morocco have consistently denied responsibility for the tragic deaths.
According to Border Forensics, the evidence gathered—including satellite photographs and survivors’ testimonies—indicates that Moroccan officials actively pushed asylum seekers towards the border while simultaneously militarizing the area. The report alleges that this created a perilous situation where migrants were cornered and subjected to violent repression by both Moroccan and Spanish law enforcement officers. This orchestrated environment is described as a “death trap” engineered by the authorities.
The NGO Walking Borders claims that the actual number of fatalities may exceed the 23 officially confirmed by Moroccan authorities, stating that the event might have resulted in more than 37 deaths. Calls for comprehensive investigations into the incident have been echoed by human rights advocates on both sides of the border (The Guardian).
The publishing of this report reignites debates around border policies and the treatment of asylum seekers, emphasizing the urgent need for accountability and the establishment of safer and more humane migration routes.
For further details, refer to the complete article by JURIST (JURIST report).