Melilla – mass storm on the border fence: "We're still going to Europe, no matter what the cost"

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This mountain was their hope: Thousands of refugees from Africa lived in the forest of Monte Gurugú in northern Morocco, some for years – under the most adverse conditions.

Only traces remind us that they were waiting here for the right moment to get into the EU – for what they hoped to be a better life.

Few have made it.

Many are still holding out south of the border, but no longer on the mountain.

In Nador, a few kilometers back on their escape route, Sudanese people now live on the streets and in parks.

Many are still trying to process what happened at the border a few weeks ago.

Ayub Abdellah, refugee from Sudan:

»The losses were great, many young people died.

We will not repeat such a violent penetration.”

What the young Sudanese means: the tragedy of Melilla.

On the morning of June 24, around 2,000 refugees tried to reach Spanish territory at once.

They stormed the six meter high border fence between the Moroccan city of Nador and the Spanish enclave of Melilla.

For two hours they fought with Spanish and Moroccan border officials.

According to the Moroccan authorities, 23 refugees died in the incident.

Human rights organizations speak of at least 37 dead and several injured, including around 160 police officers.

According to the Moroccan government, there was a mass panic at the border fence.

The victims were suffocated.

The authorities reject the misconduct of the security forces.

Now, a good three weeks after the incidents, the Moroccan judiciary has sentenced 33 people from Sudan and Chad to prison terms.

They are to be imprisoned for eleven months – among other things for “illegal entry” to Morocco, “armed assembly” and “violence against officials”.

A second group of migrants is to be tried at the end of July.

The Moroccan Human Rights Association called the sentences against the defendants "very harsh" and called on the Court of Appeal to overturn them.

The NGO submitted a preliminary report and concluded that while the Moroccan officials' violence did not directly result in the deaths, they did beat people who were lying on the ground.

Border officials also threw stones and smoke bombs at migrants, causing many to suffocate.

Those who tried to flee and desperately reached the fence died in a stampede, it said.

The incident in Melilla sparked international outrage.

Thousands of people showed solidarity with the refugees during protests in Madrid.

Original sound: »These are not deaths, these are murders!«

Pablo Rodriguez, social worker:

“One measure would be to open safe routes so people who need asylum can ask for it.

That was also done with people from other countries.

Thousands of people have come to Spain from Ukraine in four months.

We don't understand why you can't do the same thing with people from other countries.«

The migrants and refugees also demanded their rights, as here in Rabat, the capital of Morocco.

And they have repeatedly asserted that they would not act in an organized manner if they tried to cross the EU's external borders.

Mohamed Ismail Abdullah, refugee from Sudan:

'What happened in Melilla led to us being accused of being a mafia.

That's not true, we don't have an organization.

We here are just migrants.

And it is well known that people come here and try to cross the border in some way.«

In Nador, the deadly escalation has increased the population's prejudices against migrants of all origins, some report.

Herman Mbatchou, human rights activist from Cameroon:

»Since the attack, we are all just Sudanese to the people.

They don't care what's on our papers, the population simply condemns us beforehand.

Some are beginning to threaten sub-Saharans living in Nador.”

Despite the outbreak of violence, which shocked them too, the migrants in the border area do not want to give up.

Ayub Abdellah, refugee from Sudan:

'Anyone can think what they want, but many young people are against violence like that in Melilla.

Another violent storm is out of the question.

But we will reach our goal at any cost.

We're still going to Europe, whatever the cost.«

The incident on the border with Melilla has not yet been fully clarified.

However, the images from June 24 suggest that the border guards violated applicable European law when they used force to force the refugees back to Morocco.

The victims were buried in mass graves on the Moroccan side - without autopsy and identification.