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In Pictures

Gallery|Refugees

Refugees in Morocco set sights on Europe

Hundreds of people in the Bolingo camp are waiting for their chance to cross the Mediterranean Sea.

Sub-Saharan Migrants / Please Do Not Use
A group of men arrive with food at the entrance to the Bolingo camp. To obtain basic supplies, they must walk almost 2km to Selouane, the closest village. [Maria Contreras Coll/Al Jazeera]
By Maria Contreras Coll
Published On 22 Oct 201622 Oct 2016
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On a dirt trail leading to Morocco’s Bolingo camp, shepherds tend their flocks, fruit vendors sell their wares and children play in the streets.

Beyond the treeline, between a mountain and an olive grove, lies a permanent settlement of hundreds of refugees from sub-Saharan Africa – all aiming to reach Europe.

“I’ll go anywhere in Europe,” says Abiba, who left her home in the Ivory Coast several years ago, after her father attempted to force her into marriage with a man 20 years older than her. “He was very old, had white hair and I didn’t want to marry him, so I had to run away.”

Bolingo is among dozens of illegal refugee encampments in Morocco’s Nador province, near the Spanish enclave of Melilla, from where many hope to be smuggled to mainland Spain.

Abiba, who is six months pregnant, said she aimed to board a boat headed for Europe soon, in order to give her child the life that she never had: “Anywhere is good, as long as it is not here.” 

Sub-Saharan Migrants / Please Do Not Use
Health conditions in the camp are very poor. Other than a small group of Catholic volunteers from Nador, there are no NGOs assisting them. [Maria Contreras Coll/Al Jazeera]
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Sub-Saharan Migrants / Please Do Not Use
A man gets his hair cut in the Bolingo encampment. [Maria Contreras Coll/Al Jazeera]
Sub-Saharan Migrants / Please Do Not Use
Hundreds of people at Bolingo live in makeshift tents, made from pine wood and discarded plastic. [Maria Contreras Coll/Al Jazeera]
Sub-Saharan Migrants / Please Do Not Use
Most of the time in Bolingo is spent waiting for an opportunity to leave and start a new life in Europe. [Maria Contreras Coll/Al Jazeera]
Sub-Saharan Migrants / Please Do Not Use
Abiba, 24, from the Ivory Coast, is due to give birth in just a few months, and hopes her son will be born in Europe. [Maria Contreras Coll/Al Jazeera]
Sub-Saharan Migrants / Please Do Not Use
For many, Bolingo becomes a place of permanence. This child was born in a local hospital, and the camp is all she has ever known. [Maria Contreras Coll/Al Jazeera]
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Sub-Saharan Migrants / Please Do Not Use
The illegal encampment is routinely raided by Moroccan authorities. [Maria Contreras Coll/Al Jazeera]
Sub-Saharan Migrants / Please Do Not Use
From a nearby hill, refugees keep a lookout for authorities. During raids, they leave with their most treasured belongings, including life jackets needed for the boat journey to Europe. [Maria Contreras Coll/Al Jazeera]
Sub-Saharan Migrants / Please Do Not Use
Some refugees have attempted to cross into Melilla by scaling the border fence. [Maria Contreras Coll/Al Jazeera]
Sub-Saharan Migrants / Please Do Not Use
These are the types of simple instruments that have been used by refugees to climb the six-metre-tall fence. [Maria Contreras Coll/Al Jazeera]
Sub-Saharan Migrants / Please Do Not Use
Those who are caught trying to cross by Spanish police are returned to Morocco. [Maria Contreras Coll/Al Jazeera]
Sub-Saharan Migrants / Please Do Not Use
Using a device made to listen to a person's heartbeat, a police officer checks this car to see if any refugees are hiding within. [Maria Contreras Coll/Al Jazeera]
Sub-Saharan Migrants / Please Do Not Use
At a temporary shelter in Melilla, those who manage to enter the enclave wait for their asylum requests to be processed, which can take months or even years. [Maria Contreras Coll/Al Jazeera]
Sub-Saharan Migrants / Please Do Not Use
This group has been allowed to take a ferry to Spain, where their asylum requests will be reviewed. It is a moment of joy and celebration. [Maria Contreras Coll/Al Jazeera]


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