Morocco Summons Algerian Ambassador To Rabat

Morocco convened this Saturday the Ambassador of Algeria in Rabat, according to an official statement.It expressed to him “deep concern … following the attempt by 54 Syrian nationals, between 17 and 19 April, to enter illegally, from Algeria, into Moroccan territory at the level of the border zone of the town of Figuig”.

“Algeria must meet its political and moral responsibility with regard to this situation,” the Moroccan interior ministry said, adding that “the humanitarian distress” faced by Syrian civilians should not be used “to sow trouble on the Moroccan-Algerian border”.
On Friday, Morocco accused Algeria of allowing Syrian migrants to enter its territory. The relevant Algerian authorities have not as yet reacted to the Moroccan accusations.
In January 2014, Morocco summoned Algeria’s Ambassador to protest against its alleged expulsion of Syrians across their common border.
Algeria then responded in kind, saying its border guards had merely refused to allow Syrians deported by Morocco to enter its territory.
In her reaction, the head of the Algerian Red Crescent, Ms. Saida Benhabyles condemned what she described as the “Moroccan maneuvering” and underlined in a statement to Echorouk that she “regrets the undue exploitation of others, especially the refugee file for political purposes … what Morocco is doing is the worst exploitation of human dignity,” she said.
“The Syrian refugees enjoy the same rights as the Algerians themselves,” she stated. “The right to schooling is guaranteed only on the basis of a guardian’s certificate. Education is free, and school supplies are provided to them … Algeria worked to provide all the conditions for our Syrian brethren, Ms. Benhabyles underscored”.