Racisme en dodelijk geweld tegen vluchtelingen en migranten in Marokko

It is crucial to connect the everyday racism experienced by sub-Saharans in Morocco with the overt racism of the deadly EU border regime: the militarisation of the border as the EU spends millions to build fences (in 2015 Morocco built a fourth razor wire fence and deep trench at the border to Melilla with EU funding), the refusal of a safe passage to Europe to avoid the deaths of thousands at sea, and detaining people who do reach Europe in prison-like conditions. It was, after all, the colonial powers of Europe who were the first to impose borders across the Sahara where there had previously been none, stopping the previous high levels of migration that resulted in the collapse of trans-Saharan trade. As a key country of transit from sub-Saharan Africa to Europe, Morocco has proven to be the most reliable partner out of all the countries in North Africa for the EU’s strategic policies of closing borders and controlling migration flows into Europe. Hidden behind a proclaimed humanitarian discourse of “supporting good governance and human rights” – daily (often violent) raids, the destruction of migrant camps, “hot deportations” (the unlawful return of migrants immediately after capture by the Spanish authorities before an asylum claim can be made), and inhumane deportations to Morocco’s southern borders – are all carried out using money provided by the EU. It is difficult to believe that EU member states are concerned for the development of civil society and integration of sub-Saharans in Morocco when they fail to offer adequate care for unaccompanied children within their own countries, as seen in Calais in recent weeks. The deals forged between the EU and Morocco represent the neocolonialist outsourcing of border and migration controls from Europe to countries in Africa, whilst the former simultaneously avert their eyes from the human rights violations committed by state authorities – particularly sub-Saharan communities in the context of Morocco.

Lily Jay in Deaths, deportations and arrests: violence against migrants in Morocco (Opendemocracy)