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ARCHIVED - Melilla massacre: BBC report sheds new light on fatal storming of Spain-Morocco border
23 sub-Saharan Africans died when 1,500 Moroccans tried to enter Spain in June 2022
For months, investigations and issues related to the 'massacre' at Spain's Melilla border with Morocco on June 24 have concentrated mainly in the sphere of immigration NGOs and human rights groups, without making huge political waves until last week when the BBC revealed a report examining one of the most controversial aspects of the case: whether the avalanche of migrants in which at least 23 sub-Saharans died occurred on Spanish territory.
Evidence, testimonies and, in particular, disturbing footage of the mass storming by 1,500 migrants, have unleashed a political hurricane on Spain's Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
The images show both the violence with which the assault on the fence took place, leading to the death of 23 sub-Saharan Africans, and the response of the Spanish and Moroccan security forces.
The BBC, in its report entitled 'Death at the Border', includes detailed interviews and statements that contradict official versions offered by the Spanish and Moroccan authorities.
According to testimonies gathered by EFE, several Guardia Civil officers admitted that they were "overcome" by the avalanche of people, which originated in the Spanish control zone. They claimed they were overwhelmed by the stones, hooks and other objects thrown at them "by the 1,500 immigrants who wanted to enter with violence".
The video apparently shows how a large group of sub-Saharans, which some sources put at 1,700 people, make their way to the Spanish border checkpoint through the streets of Nador's Chinatown during the early hours of the morning.
Police from the Moroccan side can reportedly be seen throwing stones, sticks and tear gas at them, but not managing to effectively stop their advance. Once at the fence, they storm the gates with iron sledgehammers.
Una de las polémicas que encierra el salto a la valla de Melilla el 24 de junio es si los hechos (los 23 migrantes muertos y los cientos de heridos y rechazados) ocurrieron en, lo que denomina Interior como Tierra de Nadie. Pero, ¿ese concepto existe? Os lo contamos aquí. pic.twitter.com/FBboIC9c3t
— Albert Mateu (@albertmrivas) November 7, 2022
Several of the stampeders manage to jump to the other side, where Guardia Civil patrols were waiting for them.
Faced with backlash from the report, Grande-Marlaska countered on Tuesday November 8 that "there were no deaths on Spanish territory" during what has been dubbed the 'Melilla massacre'.
However, in other images released earlier the same day, Spanish police can reportedly be seen inspecting the bodies of several sub-Saharans (it's not known whether they are dead or alive) on Spanish territory at the border.
Details of aerial footage
Drone and camera footage suggests the border breach began at 8.29am on June 24. A hooded immigrant leads the assault and at 8:32am takes a radial saw to the fence. The video shows the sparks.
At 8:35 several immigrants start climbing the fence of the Barrio Chino post. At that moment, clouds of gas (it is not clear whether they were launched from Morocco or Spain) envelop the area. The launching of canisters intensifies in the following minutes. At 8:43, finally, the assailants burst through the gate.
In a matter of seconds, dozens of people rush into a gigantic human pile-up in the courtyard of Barrio Chino, already in Spanish territory. In the footage, only a few migrants are seen escaping from the huge bottleneck. Only a few manage to jump over the pile to reach a second, also closed, gate. When they came up against the new obstacle, at around 8.45 a.m., several sub-Saharans climb onto the roof of the border post to scale the fence.
At that time, there were no Guardia Civil officers on the infrastructure of the border crossing point. State security sources claim that the officers were ordered to withdraw, as there were only 10 officers in front of a 2,000-strong crowd.
There are no more official recordings of what is happening at the gate where dozens of immigrants, according to NGO images revealed in recent months, were met with "indifference" by Moroccan police who had entered the courtyard of the Barrio Chino crossing point under Spanish sovereignty.
At 8.50am, aerial resources focus on the action of the Spanish police. The Guardia Civil with anti-riot equipment can reportedly be seen carrying out a "bagging" of the sub-Saharans who have jumped the fence. And from 9am onwards, Spanish officials are seen forcibly transferring immigrants to the border for their 'hot return'.
Shortly before 9.30am, Moroccan troops clear the roof of the Melilla border post, in Spanish territory, as well as all the buildings at the Barrio Chino crossing.
Spain's Prosecutor's Office and the Ombudsman have opened investigations into the Melilla tragedy and have now demanded more audiovisual evidence to clarify whether the deaths occurred on Spanish territory and whether or not adequate medical assistance was provided.
Image: Twitter
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