UN committee praises Morocco's open migration policy
The UN Committee on Migrant Workers has praised Morocco's open migration policy. But it has also urged the country to bring its migration laws into line with international human rights standards.
The UN Committee on Migrant Workers has praised Morocco's open migration policy. But it has also urged the country to bring its migration laws into line with international human rights standards.
Authorities in Laayoune, Morocco have been subjecting sub-Saharan migrants to constant harassment, an Ivorian in the city has told InfoMigrants. He said scores of migrants are being arrested and detained every day and "danger is everywhere."
Migrants have been arriving on Spain’s Canary Islands at a staggering pace in recent days. While most were rescued at sea, some actually managed to arrive on the archipelago of their own accord.
Spain and Morocco are seeking to cooperate in reducing irregular border crossings after resolving a year-long diplomatic crisis over a dispute relating to the territory of Western Sahara.
At least 44 migrants drowned on Sunday when their boat capsized off the coast of the Western Sahara, migrant aid agency Caminando Fronteras said.
The body of a man, believed to be a young migrant, was found on Saturday close to one of the seawalls in the port of Melilla, said the Moroccan Human Rights Association. The news came as Spain announced it would extend the closure of the borders between its enclaves and Morocco for at least 15 more days.
The number of people trying to cross the border irregularly between Belarus and Poland is rising again. Polish officials say they are taking a new route from the Middle East through Russia to reach the EU.
Around 25 people -- including several babies -- are feared dead after their boat capsized in the Atlantic Ocean off Spain's Canary Islands on Monday. The Spanish coast guard rescued 36 people from the stricken dinghy.
At the end of last week, Spain and Morocco initiated a new phase of bilateral relations between the two countries. More economic cooperation, new flight routes and a warmer political climate are planned. In return, Spain reportedly wants to fly back to Morocco migrants who do not qualify for asylum.
The number of people attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands from Africa continues to rise, but at a huge cost. One in five deaths or disappearances of migrants recorded by the UN last year happened on the Atlantic Ocean route.
Around 25 people are believed to have died during an attempt to reach the Canary Islands by boat. Survivors said the bodies of the dead were thrown overboard.
Two migrants died over the weekend when their boat capsized off the coast of Morocco. Separately, more than 200 others were detained as they prepared to leave Morocco by sea, according to Moroccan state media.