Human Rights Report Exposes the Hidden Reality: Moroccan Association for Human Rights Holds the Makhzen Responsible for the Humanitarian Tragedy Facing Girls and Women in Ceuta
By: Dr. Hana Saada
MOROCCO – In a sharp human-rights rebuke to the official narrative, the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH)—the country’s largest human rights organisation—issued a strongly worded statement drawing attention to the appalling conditions and compounded suffering endured by women and underage girls who arrived in the occupied city of Ceuta amid the latest waves of mass displacement. The association accused the Moroccan authorities of silence, indifference and a lack of political will to protect their own citizens.
The association stressed that poverty, marginalisation and precarious working conditions, compounded by security persecution and the suppression of freedom of expression, were the principal forces that stripped these women of their dignity and drove them to risk their lives in search of a safe haven.
Sexual Assaults and a Sharp Deterioration in Humanitarian Conditions
The human rights association’s statement highlighted the grave dangers confronting migrant women and minors on the streets of Ceuta amid a severe accommodation crisis and the absence of adequate protection:
Reports of sexual crimes: The association cited Spanish media reports of six formal complaints concerning sexual assaults against migrant women, while Ceuta University Hospital received five Moroccan underage girls who had been sexually assaulted, including girls as young as 14.
Absence of care and security: The report revealed that dozens of women and girls are facing hunger, homelessness and a shortage of safe shelter, leaving them directly exposed to violence, discrimination, harassment, and physical and psychological abuse.
Holding the Moroccan Authorities Responsible and the Failure of the “Development Model”
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights placed direct responsibility on the Moroccan state for the patterns of mass displacement and flight, pointing to the following factors:
The collapse of social programmes: The association considered the unfolding crisis tangible proof of the failure of the official projects so heavily promoted by the authorities, foremost among them the “New Development Model” and the “National Initiative for Human Development.”
The erosion of economic rights and entrenched marginalisation: Low wages, the denial of social protection, and the widespread prevalence of poverty and unemployment among women and girls, some of whom are the sole breadwinners for their families.
Official silence and indifference: The association condemned the conduct of Moroccan officials and those charged with overseeing the situation, accusing them of effectively abandoning and showing complete disregard for their own citizens, particularly minors.
Suppression of Freedom of Expression and the Security-Centred Approach
The association condemned the Makhzen authorities’ resort to repressive security measures to contain the repercussions of the crisis rather than addressing its underlying causes.
The arrest of critical voices: The association denounced the prosecution and detention of individuals seeking to migrate, highlighting the case of a woman from Larache who was detained merely for making a media statement in which she held the authorities responsible for the deteriorating conditions.
Call for urgent intervention: The association called on both the Moroccan and Spanish authorities to intervene immediately to provide displaced girls and women with adequate conditions of care and urgent protection, and to safeguard their dignity and physical and psychological well-being, free from coercive and violent practices.
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