Moroccan Migrants Released After Palma Airport Escape Incident

The spokesman for the Balearic government, Iago Negueruela, defended on Wednesday the repeal of the crime of sedition. "There are other types of qualification in the Penal Code to be able to prosecute for these kinds of breaches," he said in the ’Al Dia’ program on IB3 Ràdio, referring to the case of these Moroccan migrants who escaped from Palma airport after an emergency landing.

Negueruela acknowledges that the "facts are serious", but believes that "the disturbance of public order is a crime that should not be provided for this type of case", adding that Spanish legislation needs to be updated and harmonized with the reality in other European countries that have "much more advanced and modern penal codes".

The procedure should continue for the crimes of violence, which is why the passports of the 22 Moroccan migrants have been confiscated as a precautionary measure. They are therefore not allowed to leave the island. They have been placed in a foreigners’ detention center (CIE) pending their deportation. In December, the prosecution had requested five years in prison for each of them for disturbing public order.