Spain Accused of Illegally Deporting Yemeni Asylum Seekers to Morocco

In a statement, the AMDH indicates that during the migration crisis that occurred last week, Spain "illegally" pushed back 40 Yemeni refugees, including a minor, who were nevertheless registered and housed at the asylum seekers’ reception center well before the crisis.

The persons concerned were forcibly taken to the Moroccan border by the Spanish police and military, the organization based in Nador reveals, stressing that this is a "serious violation of the rights of these migrants, recognized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees," denounced Omar Naji, an activist of this association, quoted by AFP.

At the beginning of last week, a few thousand Moroccan migrants massively crossed the border on the Moroccan side to end up, either by swimming or on foot, in Sebta. More than 6,000 of them were expelled by the Spanish authorities. Morocco chartered buses to return these migrants to their cities of origin. NGOs have denounced the treatment of migrants during the influx on Ceuta. Amnesty International in particular has stated that some, including minors, suffered violence from the Spanish forces and has called for an investigation into these "abuses".