Reactions from Morocco against racism and in favour of honest immigration following the events in Torre Pacheco
The riots that took place last week in Torre Pacheco, Murcia, involving the immigrant community in the Spanish town, following the despicable attack on a 68-year-old man allegedly carried out by three citizens of Moroccan origin, continue to provoke reactions.
Among the latest reactions are those of Moroccan footballer Omar Hilali, who plays for Espanyol Barcelona, and the Moroccan Human Rights Organisation (OMDH).
The latest statements are in line with the fight against latent racism in part of society and the defence of regulated and honest immigration aimed at peaceful coexistence and the prevention of all types of criminal activity.
The controversy erupted in the Spanish town of Torre Pacheco last week when three immigrants of Moroccan origin who were not residents of the Murcian enclave allegedly participated in the assault of a 68-year-old neighbour in the vicinity of the local cemetery.
This incident triggered popular protests and the establishment of neighbourhood patrols to prevent further threats of this kind. The situation spiralled into violence and a proliferation of racist rhetoric against the immigrant community, especially North Africans, with the participation of far-right and radical groups who travelled to the area. This led to clashes between immigrants and radical groups in the streets.
The Spanish security forces brought the situation under control and restored order, arresting more than a dozen people, but there are still reactions to the issue of immigration and racism raised by the Torre Pacheco affair, a town in Murcia with 40,000 inhabitants, where up to a third of the population is immigrant.
At this point, Spanish-Moroccan footballer Omar Hilali called for the expulsion of Moroccans who do not come to Spain to work and who cause problems that lead to criminal activity.
The Moroccan international footballer, who plays for Espanyol in Barcelona, said that these events tarnish the image of immigrants who come to Spain to earn an honest living.
Omar Hilali said in an interview with Betevé that ‘these actions harm those of us who come here to work and integrate,’ adding that ‘the majority here strive to earn a living, but there is a minority who have no such intention,’ referring to those who end up committing crimes and who should be deported.
Born in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat to Moroccan parents, the player called for the expulsion of those who do not come to work: ‘Anyone who does not come to work should be sent back to their country, regardless of their nationality.’
The Moroccan international also referred to the issue of racism, which continues to exist in some sectors. ‘People who don't know I'm a footballer look at me as if I've committed 40 crimes,’ he said.
On the other hand, the Moroccan Human Rights Organisation (OMDH) lamented the ‘racist persecution of immigrants, most of whom are nationals who have lived for more than two decades’ on Spanish soil.
In a statement issued on Monday, the OMDH expressed its concern about ‘the rise of far-right racism, which is claiming victims among migrants in Spain, seriously affecting the Spanish social fabric and rekindling feelings of fear and hatred.’
In this context, the organisation warned against ‘the negative repercussions of these events on Moroccan-Spanish relations and on Spain's image in Moroccan society’, as well as on ‘the progress made by Spain in the integration of immigrants’. Furthermore, the organisation condemned ‘the racist acts’ committed by the far right and the acts of incitement to hatred disseminated by various media and social networks.
Furthermore, the NGO criticised ‘the exploitation by the far right of the migration issue and minor incidents, which are being turned into an electoral argument’. In this regard, the organisation called on ‘democratic forces and human rights defenders in Spain’ to ‘mobilise against the growing wave of racial discrimination and intolerance in all its forms’.