African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat has called for an "immediate investigation" after the deaths of dozens of migrants trying to cross from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Melilla. "I express my deep shock and concern at the violent and degrading treatment of African migrants attempting to cross an international border from #Morocco into #Spain, Mahamat tweeted.

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African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat has called for an "immediate investigation" after the deaths of dozens of migrants trying to cross from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Melilla.

"I express my deep shock and concern at the violent and degrading treatment of African migrants attempting to cross an international border from #Morocco into #Spain, with the ensuing violence leading to the deaths of at least 23 people and injuries to many more," Mahamat said on Twitter late Sunday.

"I call for an immediate investigation into the matter and remind all countries of their obligations under international law to treat all migrants with dignity and to prioritize their safety and human rights, while refraining from the use of excessive force," he added.

Around 2,000 migrants tried to cross the militarized border fence Friday and were met with force from both Moroccan and Spanish authorities.

The UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) reported that the migrants came mostly from the impoverished African countries of Chad, Niger, South Sudan and Sudan and would have been considered asylum seekers under international law.

In addition to at least 37 fatalities, over 150 people were injured during charges and beatings by the security forces or after falling from the 6- to 10-metre-high fences preventing entry into the Spanish exclave from Morocco, media reports said.

Helena Maleno Garzon, head of the NGO Walking Borders, said at least 37 people lost their lives.

Videos from the Moroccan side of the border show what appear to be dead bodies and severely injured people strewn across the ground without receiving medical attention - some with their hands tied behind their backs.

Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has only applauded Spanish and Moroccan collaboration on the border, saying the mass migration attempt was "well resolved."

European Council President Charles Michel said: "We totally support Spain and all countries on the frontline protecting the EU's borders. Migration is a difficult challenge for everyone. I express my support for the Spanish authorities."

Many of the migrants have spent months or even years under precarious, dangerous conditions in the nearby forest of Gourougou, braving beatings and arrests in multiple attempts to reach better lives in Spain.

NGOs on the ground said the number of deaths could be higher. "We've confirmed 37 deaths in the Melilla tragedy," said Helena Maleno Garzón, whose organization, Walking Borders, is in constant contact with Africans seeking to cross into Spain from Morocco.

Videos shared online by the Moroccan Association of Human Rights appeared to show dozens of people packed into an area next to the border fence - some bleeding and many lying motionless - as Moroccan forces in riot gear watched over them in the aftermath of the crossing.

"They were left there without help for hours, which increased the number of deaths," the group said on Twitter.

In the days before, police had carried out several raids on the camps where the migrants and refugees slept rough as they waited for the chance to cross into Spain, he said. The police confiscated food and any cash they could find, leaving migrants anxious and exhausted as they grappled with higher levels of precariousness.

The ugly face of European imperialism

Jordan Shilton, writing on the World Socialist Web Site, under the title, "The ugly face of European imperialism", said: The savage killing of at least 37 refugees on the border between Morocco and the Spanish exclave of Melilla underscores the brutality and disregard of basic democratic rights that pervades the European Union. As the US-NATO war with Russia rapidly escalates into a global conflagration, and workers across the continent move into struggle against the unbearable cost of living and the ruling elite's murderous pandemic policy, the major European powers are resurrecting forms of state-organized violence and political reaction not seen since Europe's domination by authoritarian and fascist regimes during the 1930s.

The bloody massacring of desperate migrants on the European Union's southern border must therefore be taken as a serious warning by working people everywhere. The unconditional defence of the fascistic border guards by the Spanish government demonstrates that as they wage war in the east, Europe's ruling elites are deploying the most brutal forms of repression against anyone who gets in the way of their reckless plans of imperialist conquest.

This was underscored by the deafening silence on the massacre at the G7 summit that concludes today in Schloss Elmau in Germany. While the leaders of the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan agreed on a sanctimonious statement pledging to "strengthen the resilience of our democracies" and a commitment to the "rules-based international order," not a word was wasted on the bloody massacre on Europe's doorstep.

On Monday evening, a semi-truck trailer filled with dozens of dead undocumented Central American immigrants was discovered in San Antonio, Texas. The truck was carrying refugees fleeing desperate economic conditions in Central America, the legacy of over a century of US imperialist exploitation. Their peaceful entry into the country was barred by the Biden administration's anti-immigrant restrictions. The official death toll of 46 is expected to rise and likely includes children.

The cold indifference shown by the ruling elites of all the major powers towards the lives of the most oppressed sections of society recalls the contemptuous attitude taken by the imperialist powers on the eve of World War II to the plight of Europe's Jews and other persecuted minorities fleeing the Nazi regime. At the infamous 1938 Evian Conference, none of the major powers agreed to accept additional refugees for fear of damaging relations with the Third Reich, which was at the time still viewed by substantial sections of the European ruling class as an ally against the Soviet Union.

It is not merely a matter of historical coincidence that Friday's massacre occurred in Spain's North African territory, from where a revolt by fascist officers in July 1936, led by Francisco Franco, served as the basis for the fascist movement that emerged victorious in the Spanish Civil War and ruthlessly oppressed the Spanish working class for four decades. The EU's official sanctioning of Friday's massacre will encourage and strengthen present-day fascist movements across the continent, which are cultivated by the ruling class to crush worker opposition to its unpopular policies, Jordan Shilton concluded.

Authors Bio:

Author and journalist.
Author of
Islamic Pakistan: Illusions & Reality;
Islam in the Post-Cold War Era;
Islam & Modernism;
Islam & Muslims in the Post-9/11 America.
American Muslims in Politics.
Islam in the 21st Century: Challanges, conspiracies & Chaos
Muslim Word in the New Global Order
Currently working as free lance journalist.
Executive Editor of American Muslim Perspective: www.amperspective.com