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Rabat – Spain’s mass deportations of new arrivals in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta are a cause for concern for international human rights activists and campaigners.
While Spain has taken a hardline, indiscriminate approach to the migratory crisis, both diplomatically and on the ground, a growing number of observers are drawing attention to potential breaches of international law. According to the latest figures, Spanish authorities have sent back 5,600 of the 8,000 migrants that arrived in Ceuta this week.
The Association for Human Rights of Andalusia (APDHA) reported “attacks on minors by members of the army, breach of the duty to protect children, hot returns without the minimum guarantees, [and] criminalization of migrants.”
The fact that the Spanish government has rushed to return the migrants “via express deportations without guaranteeing individualised judicial protection,” required by international law, causes great concern to the organization, according to an official statement.
Spain’s handling of the situation highlights the inadequacy of the Spanish, and by extension European, migratory infrastructure, according to advocacy groups. The APDHA points out that “basing migration policies on the repression and subcontracting” of countries like Morocco, to act as “gendarmes of Europe,” has very tangible consequences.
For one, migrants themselves become “bargaining chips” for the countries involved, but beyond that, the broader “geostrategic implications in exchange for lives are also enormous.”
Read also: US, Morocco Relations Thrive as Spain Persists in Shady Media Campaign
Judith Sunderland, the associate director for Human Rights Watch’s Europe and Central Asia division, turned to Twitter to vent her anger on authorities’ handling of the unfolding crisis.
“How do you want 4000 people to be returned hotly without violating the rights of children, asylum seekers, everyone,” she asked, reaffirming that “the challenge of so many arrivals in a short time does not justify violations of rights or the abandonment of our humanity.”
Rafael Escudero, from the Spanish Network for Immigration and Refugee Aid, also suggested that the pace of the deportations could be indicative of international law violations.
“The maths don’t work out,” he told the Guardian.
“Even if there were 4,000 police officers on the ground, it would take at least 4,000 minutes to collect data and take a declaration. That’s dozens of hours … They’re carrying out summary deportations.”
Meanwhile, Spain’s aggressive approach to mass deportations and the defense of its “territorial integrity” in Africa, has been backed by various European Union officials. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the EU Commission, shared her support on Twitter.
The “EU stands in solidarity with Ceuta & Spain,” she wrote.
While Spain and the EU are talking of the crisis in terms of “territorial integrity” and potential risks to Western nations, they seem to care very little for the plight of the thousands of irregular migrants. Most media reports indicate that at least 1,500 of the 8,000 migrants that entered Ceuta could be minors.
“These children must immediately be protected and their needs must be assessed to identify the most vulnerable among them and ensure they get the support they need,” said Catalina Perazzo, Advocacy Director at Save the Children Spain.
Another cause for concern is the militarization of the enclave. Pictures have shown armored vehicles, the military, riot police, all deployed by Spanish authorities. And while Spain engages in militarization and potential breaches of human rights, senior Spanish officials continue to paint Morocco as the perpetrator and the bad guy.
