JAMAICA’S Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) has joined the call by political parties and international human rights groups for an investigation into the stampede and deaths on the Spanish Moroccan border.

At the same time, the PNP has recommended that there be more humane treatment of the large numbers of migrants and refugees crossing borders internationally.

In a statement Tuesday, the party also condemed human trafficking across borders which is becoming increasingly dangerous to human life. The statement follows the stampede last Friday of more than 2,000 people on the Moroccan/Spanish (Melilla) borders during a migrant incursion, when an iron fence was breached, killing 23 people.

The PNP also wants fraternal political parties of Socialist International in Europe to lobby for changes in line with proposals by the Moroccan human rights groups, which have blamed the Spanish-Morocco migration agreement for the tragedy.

The PNP said it was in solidarity with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, who has urged the authorities to prioritise the safety of migrants and refugees, to refrain from using excessive force and uphold their human rights. The party said the situation could worsen, unless there is international pressure and action.