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Ashifa Kassam And Tarik El -barakah
Madrid (AP) — Human rights groups in Spain and Morocco have called on both countries to investigate at least 18 dead. .. Africans and injured suffered from dozens of people trying to expand the border fence surrounding Melilla, a Spanish outpost in North Africa.
Moroccan officials said casualties occurred when people's "stampedes" tried to climb the iron fence separating Melilla and Morocco. In a statement released Friday, the Moroccan Ministry of Home Affairs said 76 civilians were injured along with 140 Moroccan guards.
A local government quoted by Morocco's official MAP news agency said the death toll had risen to 18 after several migrants died in hospitals. The Moroccan Human Rights Association reported 27 deaths, but the numbers could not be confirmed immediately.
The association also shared videos on social media and appeared to show dozens of migrants lying on the ground as Moroccan security forces stood on them. ..
"They were left there for hours without help, which increased the number of deaths," the human rights group said on Twitter. It called for a "comprehensive" survey.
In another video of the association, Moroccan guards seem to have used batons to attack a person lying on the ground.
In a statement released late Friday, Amnesty International expressed "deep concern" about what happened at the border.
"Immigrants may have acted violently in an attempt to enter Melilla, but not everything goes well when it comes to border control," said Esteban Bertrand, director of Amnesty International Spain. Stated. "The human rights of migrants and refugees must be respected and the situation seen will never happen again."
Andalusia-based human rights group APDHA in southern Spain and Morocco A joint statement issued by the five rights groups of Spain also sought inquiries.
A spokesperson for the Spanish government's office in Melilla said about 2,000 people tried to cross the border fence, but were stopped by Spanish civil guards and Moroccan troops on both sides of the border fence. Stated. A total of 133 migrants have achieved it across national borders.
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El-Barakah reported by Rabat. Follow the reports on AP migration issues at
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https://apnews.com/hub/migration
