A ‘harsh’ first ruling in Morocco after Ceuta surge with 7 taxi drivers jailed, union says

In Morocco, seven taxi drivers have been handed prison sentences and fines for assisting migrants in crossing into the Spanish territory of Ceuta, marking the first ruling linked to the mass exodus of over 70,000 individuals over the past week. The Moroccan judges in Tetouan convicted the taxi drivers of "aiding illegal migration by driving people to unauthorized border crossings" and "transporting passengers without a license," after they ferried clients to the Moroccan border town of Fnideq.

The ruling was made public on Monday, despite the taxi drivers appearing before prosecutors without legal representation due to a nationwide strike by lawyers. They have the option to appeal the decision. One taxi was taken away by authorities. The Moroccan Association of Human Rights reported that 111 people are currently held in pretrial detention for charges related to the Ceuta incidents, including mass rebellion, assaulting public officials, and obstructing traffic.

The Moroccan Justice Ministry and the public prosecutor's office have not yet provided a response to inquiries regarding the matter. Labor unions, including the national taxi union, have strongly criticized the sentences as "shocking and harsh." They emphasized that "no official decision has been made to impose limits on passenger transportation," stating that "taxi drivers cannot be held accountable for what happened."

Ali Younes, the secretary general of the Tetouan branch of the national taxi union, told The Associated Press, "Taxi drivers were merely exercising their profession when they provided a public service."