The human cost of outsourcing Europe’s border controls

The report examines the 'Black Friday' tragedy at the Melilla border, where at least 23 migrants died during an attempted crossing from Morocco to Spain. It contrasts official government claims that the event was caused by criminal trafficking networks with testimonies from survivors and human rights organisations, who describe illegal push-backs and coordinated violence by Spanish and Moroccan security forces. The text further analyzes the geopolitical relationship between Spain and Morocco, highlighting how financial aid and diplomatic agreements regarding Western Sahara are used to secure Morocco's role as a 'border guardian' for Europe, which the author contends leads to systemic human rights violations.

• On 24 June 2022, a crush at the land border between Morocco and Spain in Melilla resulted in at least 23 deaths from asphyxiation and injuries to over 200 migrants, 140 Moroccan agents, and 49 Spanish agents. Non-governmental organisations report higher casualties, with Caminando Fronteras documenting at least 37 deaths and the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) counting 27 deaths and 64 disappearances.
• Survivors and human rights groups, such as the Jesuit Migrant Service (SJM), allege that the tragedy involved illegal push-backs and coordinated violence, including the use of teargas and truncheons, and that Moroccan agents beat migrants on Spanish territory. This contradicts the Spanish Interior Ministry's assertion that interventions were in accordance with legal frameworks and that "nobody was pushed back at the border."
• The European Union and Morocco have responded to the tragedy by agreeing to update cooperation on migration to combat trafficking networks, focusing on border management, police cooperation, and joint investigations. However, legal representatives for migrants argue that the individuals involved were not part of organised criminal networks.
• Spain provides significant financial aid to Morocco to control irregular migration, including 30 million euros in May 2021 and 32 million euros in 2019. This financial relationship is intertwined with diplomatic negotiations over Western Sahara, specifically Spain's support for the Moroccan autonomy plan.
• Human rights organisations describe the Melilla tragedy as a result of "criminal migration policies" where Morocco acts as Europe's "gendarme," leading to a decline in Morocco's status as a country of refuge and the planned re-establishment of a programme to return irregular migrants to their countries of origin.

APA

Moreno, S. (2022). The human cost of outsourcing Europe’s border controls. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-human-cost-of-outsourcing-europes-border-controls/

Chicago

Moreno, Sonia. The human cost of outsourcing Europe’s border controls. Green European Journal, 2022. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-human-cost-of-outsourcing-europes-border-controls/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Moreno |first1=Sonia |title=The human cost of outsourcing Europe’s border controls |publisher=Green European Journal |date=10 August 2022 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-human-cost-of-outsourcing-europes-border-controls/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{moreno2022human, author = {Moreno, Sonia}, title = {{The human cost of outsourcing Europe’s border controls}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2022}, month = aug, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-human-cost-of-outsourcing-europes-border-controls/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }