Spain has deported more than a dozen sub-Saharan African and Asian migrants to Morocco after authorities rejected their asylum applications. The Interior Ministry stated that the group was transferred after Morocco agreed to accept them, confirming the individuals were currently on Moroccan territory.
The ministry declined to disclose exact figures or nationalities. Migrant and rights charities operating in Ceuta reported that 16 people were sent back, coming from Senegal, Nigeria, Yemen, Cameroon, and Bangladesh.
Non-governmental organizations argued that the returns ignore the risks migrants face under Morocco’s treatment of foreign nationals. They said the action contradicts the stated values of Spain’s leftist government.
Virginia Alvarez, a researcher with Amnesty International, criticized the Spanish position as hypocritical. "Spain, despite its (progressive) speeches in Europe, is not ensuring that human rights guarantees are met for people who cross its borders in Ceuta and Melilla," she said, adding that Morocco does not respect many human rights.
Morocco’s Interior Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration stated that it does not participate in deportations or forced removals.
"Decisions on removals are the sovereign responsibility of States, and IOM has no role in determining who is removed or where they are sent," the organization said. The agency added that its voluntary return program only supports migrants who choose to return to their countries of origin to rebuild their lives.
A spokesperson for Spain’s Interior Ministry defended the action by stating that the European Union considers Morocco a safe country. The spokesperson maintained that deportations are executed with all necessary safeguards, though no further details were provided.
The removals follow a mass border crossing in July when roughly 80,000 people crossed from Morocco into Ceuta over a 48-hour period. Ceuta and Melilla are the only European land borders with Africa.
Although most people returned within days, thousands remained in the enclave. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s administration faces mounting pressure from the European Union and the public to resolve the crisis ahead of elections on November 29.
Spanish authorities are currently housing 8,000 migrants in reception centres while processing asylum applications for the majority of those who stayed in Ceuta. Several NGOs, including Amnesty International, have filed complaints with the Spanish ombudsman. They allege that some of the more than 13,000 people claimed to have returned voluntarily since August were actually forced to leave, including non-Moroccan nationals.
