Spanish Court Rules Ceuta Migrant Child Deportations Illegal

The court (TSJA) rejected the appeals filed by the Government Delegation and the Ceuta Executive against the decision of the court of first instance in the city, which had ruled that the minimum guarantees had not been respected to preserve the physical or moral integrity of the minors during these repatriations. The delegation assured that it would not accept the verdict until it was final, recalls Diario Vasco.

For the TSJA, "the Delegation, in addition to not dealing individually with the files of 8 minors, did not take all the necessary steps for the repatriation". The two administrations also appealed a decision concerning the "illegal" return of 12 other minors and another decision relating to the return of 7 other minors.

"It is frustrating to note that public administrations continue to violate the fundamental rights of migrants and in particular of children, despite the multiple court decisions that our various governments refuse to respect," lamented Lourdes Reyzábal, president of the Raíces Foundation.