(Zaman Al Wasl)- Mahmoud Afara, an activist focused on refugee affairs, reported to Zaman al-Wasl news from one of the Syrians stranded at the Algerian-Moroccan border that the refugees “are not migrants, but have families in Morocco and their destination was Morocco, not Europe.”
Dozens of Syrian families are experiencing dire humanitarian conditions for almost a month as they continue to live in a desert area of no more than 100 square meters in a city the city of Bashar along the Algerian-Moroccan border. The families, mainly women and children, are exposed to the elements without proper shelter or access to food and drinking water.
Afara quoted his source who explained that the refugees’ daily sustenance is limited to an egg and a loaf of bread. The refugees are only receiving assistance from the residents of the Moroccan city of Figuig, and even this aid is reaching them with great difficulty because the Moroccan authorities set up a cordon around the refugees.
According to human rights activists, the refugees are formed of two groups, the first group is composed of 41 people, mostly children and women and the other group is composed of 15 people, mostly women and children with only one young man.
Speaking to Zaman al-Wasl, Afara confirmed that one of the pregnant women gave birth to her daughter in the desert without medical care before the eyes of the Algerian and Moroccan authorities. The newborn named Zuzfana appears to have congenital malformations and desperately needs medical care to ensure she lives. Also, a desert snake bit one of the children, and the child remains without any medical care or treatment several days after she was bitten.
A video clip obtained by Zaman al-Wasl from Afara’s source shows the primitive tents built by the refugees using tree branches and clothing. The video shows many women hiding their faces sitting in front of the tents while the refugee filming provided a voice over. The refugee filming confirmed that the video was filmed on April 02, 2017, and indicated that there were 41 refugees present. The refugee commenting appealed to the Mohamed VI, the King of Morocco, to take mercy on the refugees stuck at the border between the two countries, recognize the condition of their women and children, and approach them with compassion, mercy and save them from this ordeal.
Abdul Karim Benatiq, the Minister Delegate for the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that Morocco cannot receive the Syrian refugees stranded in the desert because Morocco has a strict law on illegal migration.
On April 22, 2017, the Moroccan authorities accused Algeria of deporting a group of Syrian refugees, including women and children, “in a very precarious situation” towards the Moroccan border. The authorities further accused Algeria of trying to “instigate unrest at the Moroccan-Algerian border and cause a massive and uncontrolled migration wave towards Morocco.”
Benatiq stressed that Morocco has its own migration policy and it does not accept lessons or pressure from anyone. The comment came as a response to Human Rights Watch which addressed Morocco and Algeria with the need to protect the Syrian refugees stranded in the desert between the two countries.
In turn, the Algerian Foreign Ministry denied this “allegation,” saying the allegations “aim only at harming Algeria,” but it has yet to provide another account of the events.
Between declarations, denunciations and exile, dozens of Syrian refugees continue to live in inhumane circumstances in the desert at the border between Morocco and Algeria midst continued political friction and no hope of being rescued.
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