Surge in Asylum Requests: Over 1,000 Moroccans Seek Protection in Spanish Enclave Melilla

27 April 2022 – byPrince · 1 min read

A thousand Moroccans stranded in Melilla since the closure of the border have applied for asylum between January and August 2021, according to the Spanish authorities who say they have received a total of 2,225 asylum applications from migrants of various nationalities during this period.

These figures were provided by the Secretary of State for Relations with the Courts and Constitutional Affairs, in response to questions from PP senators from Melilla. The official does not give the reasons justifying this strong demand for international protection, specifying that these are confidential data.

To read: Surge in Moroccan Asylum Seekers Prompts Spain to Revamp Asylum Process

The asylum seekers are migrants who want to take advantage of the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2021 which ordered their free movement on Spanish territory, including those who have filed their applications in Ceuta or Melilla, reports El Faro de Melilla.

Among these asylum seekers, Moroccans are in the lead with 1,001 applications, followed by Tunisians (531), Sudanese (182), Egyptians (142) and Malians (135). There are also asylum applications from Algerian (82), Guinean (25), Burkinabe (23), Ivorian (19), Chadian (18), Syrian (14), Cameroonian (13), Senegalese (9), Mauritanian (5) citizens, etc.

Category: Spain

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Spain Melilla