Moroccan mothers call for the release of their sons
Young Moroccan men are allegedly disappearing abroad, and their families are demanding answers and action.
The Moroccan government-friendly outlet Hespress reported, on July 22nd, about protests that occurred outside Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They were the families of young men who supposedly attempted to illegally enter countries, Libya specifically, and have since not been heard from.
The protests consisted mostly of mothers, reportedly demanding that Moroccan authorities liaise with Libyan officials and find out the fates of their sons. The mothers apparently even addressed King Mohammed VI directly to intervene in the situation.
One mother in particular, Hassnaa Jabal, stated she lost contact with her son, Oussama, around four months ago after he was detained in Libya. Another mother, Amina Bou Fars, said her son Abdullah remains in jail, even though others with similar charges have been released.
Rights groups and Moroccan diplomats are said to have talked about the missing men, claiming they are possibly being held in informal detention centres which are out of state control and run by armed groups in western Libya.
These centres are known for migrant abuse, extortion, and ransom demands.
According to Maghrebi.org, Libya has become a transit point for those attempting to escape poverty and war-torn countries, with 100,000 Sudanese migrants crossing the Sahara to find refuge in the country last year.
Libya has recently begun to crackdown on these migrants, deporting 700 Sudanese on July 18th alone.
The ongoing migrant crisis in North Africa has also affected Morocco, with the country currently tackling a child migrant crisis which has seen thousands f unaccompanied minors arriving in the likes of Nador, Casablanca, and Marrakech.
Europe stands as the distant promise for young Moroccan men fleeing poverty, a journey so many risk their lives for, leaving mothers behind to wage a quiet war for the return of their sons lost in the pursuit.
Hespress, Maghrebi.org
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