Algeria Denies Aid to Syrian Refugees, Morocco receives them with open arms

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Rabat - News of the expulsion of Syrian refugees at the Moroccan-Algerian border went viral this week. With this move, Algeria added insult to injury to already troubled diplomatic relations with Morocco.

In the last few days, crowds of Syrian refugees, mostly women and children, have massed at the Moroccan border after being expelled by Algerian authorities.

The Levant, the geographical area covering what is now Syria, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, and Palestinian territories, and once the cradle of remarkable civilizations in the Fertile Crescent, continues to suffer political unrest and violence. Syria, like other Arab countries, has not escaped the wave of change that came with the Arab Spring, when Syrians decided to voice their opinions and raise their demands to topple the rule of Bashar El Assad. After a long struggle with the Syrian regime, civilians have fled the persecution and sexual violence and escaped to neighboring countries. A large number of refugees have ended up in Morocco seeking asylum.

Given the critical status of the refugee’s psychological, economic and residential demands, countries worldwide seem to be reluctant to receive the massive number of people. Algeria and Morocco, both still developing countries, chose to keep their doors wide open for the fleeing Syrians. However, this ongoing generosity cannot be taken for granted.

Moroccan authorities and civil societies on the eastern borders with Algeria reported the arrival of Syrians who were told to leave Algeria. "They told us to go to Morocco, and we were obliged to leave," a Syrian refugee said to the Moroccan National TV channel 2M.

The Director of Immigration and Borders’ Surveillance Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Khaled Ezerwali, confirmed the news of Syrians being deported from Algeria to Morocco.

"In addition to the witness testimony collected from people at the border area, there are passports that carry the stamp of the Algerian permit at the Boumdiyan Airport, which confirms that these Syrians have been expelled to Moroccan territory through the Algerian-Moroccan borders," Ezerwali said.

On Tuesday, Morocco’s Minister Delegate of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mbarka Bouaida, summoned Algeria'sAmbassador to convey Morocco’s condemnation of the expulsion of Syrians from Algeria to the Moroccan territory. Algeria responded by summoning Morocco's Ambassador in Algeria to deny the alleged expulsion of about 70 refugees. Algeria also expressed its disapproval of what it called "the provocative statements issued by the Moroccan Ministry’s press release," claiming that the borders with Morocco have not been opened since 1994.

However, Algeria seems to ignore history. This is not the first time it has conducted this kind of operation at its borders with Morocco. Algeria was also allegedly involved in a heavily disputed case with Morocco regarding Sub-Saharan Africans entering Moroccan territories through its eastern borders with Algeria.

Before the exchange of accusations between the two countries, Moroccan civilians expressed their warm welcome and abundant hospitality towards the Syrians. Indeed, Morocco is the land in which everyone, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or nationality can find a home.

Edited by Liz Yaslik