Key facts
- Seven Moroccan taxi drivers were sentenced to up to six months in prison and fined $1,070 each.
- The drivers were convicted of facilitating illegal migration and transporting passengers without a license.
- The ruling is the first in Morocco following a surge of over 70,000 people into Ceuta.
- The Moroccan Association of Human Rights stated 111 people are in pretrial detention.
- Labor unions criticized the sentences as harsh and unjust.
Seven Moroccan taxi drivers have been sentenced to up to six months in prison and fined $1,070 each for their role in facilitating irregular migration during a recent surge of people into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. This ruling marks the first legal action in Morocco connected to the crisis, which saw over 70,000 people cross into the territory.
Judges in Tetouan found the drivers guilty of "facilitating the illegal exit of Moroccans and foreigners through unauthorized border points" and "transporting passengers without a license." The drivers appeared before prosecutors without legal representation due to a nationwide lawyers' strike. One vehicle was confiscated.
The Moroccan Association of Human Rights reported that 111 people are in pretrial detention following the Ceuta events, facing charges including mass rebellion and assaulting public officials. Labor unions have condemned the sentences as "shocking and harsh," arguing that taxi drivers should not be held responsible for providing a public service.
The migrant surge into Ceuta was reportedly fueled by false social media rumors of an open border and economic hardship. Over 80 people died during the crossings, and most surviving migrants were expelled by Spanish authorities. An estimated 1,000 minors remain in Ceuta with uncertain futures.
Separately, Europol announced that an international police operation led by Spanish authorities dismantled a major criminal network involved in trafficking migrants, drugs, and weapons across the Western Mediterranean, resulting in 78 arrests in Spain and Algeria.