A ‘harsh’ first ruling in Morocco after Ceuta surge with 7 taxi drivers jailed, union says
Summary
Seven Moroccan taxi drivers were sentenced to up to six months in prison and fined for helping people cross the border illegally into the Spanish city of Ceuta. This is the first court decision after more than 70,000 migrants entered Ceuta recently, causing a crisis in the area.Key Facts
- The taxi drivers were found guilty of helping people cross the border illegally and transporting passengers without proper licenses.
- The court case took place in Tetouan, northern Morocco, with drivers appearing without lawyers due to a nationwide strike.
- Each driver was fined about $1,070, and one vehicle was confiscated.
- Over 100 people are in pretrial detention in Morocco related to the Ceuta migrant surge, facing charges like rebellion and assault on officials.
- The Moroccan taxi union and 25 other labor unions called the sentences harsh since no official rules had banned passenger transport.
- Around 70,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta recently, motivated by false rumors and economic problems.
- More than 80 people died trying to cross the border, and most survivors were sent back or left voluntarily.
- The EU police agency Europol supported a police operation that broke up a criminal network trafficking migrants, drugs, and weapons in the Western Mediterranean region.
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