9 African Migrants Die of Extreme Cold in Ras Asfour

UNSPLASH ILLUSTRATION/konrad dobosz

JAKARTA - Exposure to freezing temperatures near the Moroccan border with Algeria killed nine African migrants.

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 in winter, the Moroccan Human Rights Association said.

"They died from extreme cold, which their exhausted bodies could not withstand," he said, quoted by ABC News, Monday, December 15.

One of the migrants was from Guinea, the group said. The rest came from various countries across sub-Saharan Africa, although specific information about their identities is still unknown. Morocco's Ministry of the Interior has not commented on the incident.

Every year, thousands of migrants seeking better living conditions try to cross illegally from North Africa to Europe, including from Morocco to Spain.

Some aim for Ceuta and Melilla - two small Spanish enclaves in North Africa - by climbing border fences or swimming. Others try to reach Spain's Canary Islands, taking a longer route across the Atlantic Ocean.

Security forces in the North African country regularly report having foiled such crossing attempts.

Across Europe and Africa, North Africa is known as a transit point for migrants heading for Europe's southern borders.

Security agreements with the European Union have strengthened the authorities' ability to prevent migration in North Africa. Many who initially intended to migrate to Europe spend months or years working informally - doing construction, farming, or domestic work.

Others rely on aid while waiting for the chance to cross the Mediterranean or Atlantic.