Politics

Spain Deports More Than a Dozen Migrants from Ceuta After Asylum Rejections

By Al Jazeera Staff

Spain has deported more than a dozen migrants from its North African enclave of Ceuta after their asylum applications were rejected, according to the Interior Ministry. The Ministry said Morocco had agreed to receive the deportees. Non‑governmental organisations reported that 16 people from African, Middle Eastern and Asian countries were deported. The move marks the first deportation of its kind since a mass border crossing into Ceuta from Morocco in July, when about 80,000 people entered the 18.5‑square‑kilometre city over 48 hours and at least 100 people died. The crisis has become a significant political issue for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who is facing snap elections on November 29. Tens of thousands of protesters have gathered across Spain in recent months to denounce the government’s handling of the situation, while right‑wing parties have used the crisis to attack Sánchez. The far‑right Vox Party leader Santiago Abascal has called the prime minister a “traitor.” Amnesty International has warned that the human rights of those deported from Ceuta could be at risk, stating that Morocco does not respect many human rights. Madrid disputes the allegations, noting that the European Union considers Morocco a safe country and that deportations are carried out with all necessary safeguards. Most of those who entered Ceuta in late July left within days, but about 8,000 migrants still remain, some sleeping on the streets and others housed by Spain, charities and civil society groups.