Human Rights Institution Urges Moroccan Government to Investigate 9 Migrants Who Died of Freezing on the Border of His Country

JAKARTA - The Moroccan Human Rights (HAM) Institution revealed that nine African migrant bodies were found near the Moroccan border with Algeria.

The bodies of seven men and two women were found in Ras Asfour, a remote mountainous area in Morocco known for its extreme cold temperatures, especially this winter.

"They died from extreme cold, which their exhausted bodies could not withstand," the Human Rights Association said in a statement on Monday, December 15, quoted by AP.

The human rights association explained that one of the migrants was from Guinea. The rest came from various countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

The Moroccan Ministry of the Interior when asked for a statement has not responded regarding the discovery of the migrant's body.

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Every year, thousands of migrants trying to find a better life try to cross illegally from North Africa to Europe, including from Morocco to Spain.

Some migrants aim for Ceuta and Melilla - two small Spanish territories in North Africa - by climbing over border fences or swimming.

Based on the Human Rights Association's statement, six migrant bodies were buried last week and two others were kept at the request of their families. The Human Rights Association encourages the Moroccan government to investigate thoroughly so that this case does not recur.

"We will ensure that this case is followed up," he said.

The Moroccan Human Rights Organization - a different association - earlier this week called for the humanization of borders, the decriminalization of illegal migration and residence, and the establishment of a mechanism to track missing migrants to prevent the incident at Ras Asfour from being repeated.