Spain has deported a group of migrants, including Nigerians, to Morocco after rejecting their asylum applications, amid concerns from human rights groups over the treatment of those returned.
The deportation of 16 people from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta was the first of its kind since a mass border crossing in July, according to reports.
Migrant and human rights organisations identified the deportees as nationals of Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroon, Yemen and Bangladesh.
Spain’s Interior Ministry said the migrants were returned after Morocco agreed to receive them. It did not disclose the number of deportees or their nationalities, but organisations operating in Ceuta provided the details, Reuters reported.
The returns have drawn criticism from rights groups, which argue that Spanish authorities may not have adequately assessed the risks the migrants could face in Morocco or ensured their rights were protected.
Virginia Alvarez, a researcher with Amnesty International, criticised Spain’s approach, saying it fell short of the country’s stated human rights commitments.
The deportations come as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government faces pressure to manage the backlog of asylum applications following the mass crossing from Morocco in late July.
Several non-governmental organisations, including Amnesty International, have also complained to Spain’s ombudsman over reports that some migrants recorded as having returned voluntarily to Morocco may have been compelled to leave.
The organisations questioned whether the migrants’ rights had been respected, particularly in cases involving people from countries other than Morocco.
The latest returns have renewed scrutiny of Spain’s handling of rejected asylum applications, including whether migrants have adequate opportunities to challenge decisions before being deported.
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