The Spanish government is working on a legislative amendment to reduce the time needed to process the files of migrants currently in the city of Ceuta, with the aim of accelerating their deportation to Morocco. This move comes after a meeting between Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares and his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, in New York on Thursday. During the meeting, Bourita reiterated that Morocco is not responsible for the deportation of migrants.
The amendment, which is being prepared by the socialist government, aims to reduce the time needed to process the files of migrants from Ceuta. According to the Spanish newspaper El Independiente, the government is working "around the clock" to prepare the legislative reform before next Tuesday, with the possibility of presenting it to the Council of Ministers for approval before it is sent to the Congress of Deputies for ratification.
The Spanish government is also considering granting the amendment retrospective effect, allowing it to apply to migrants who entered Ceuta during the migration wave on July 30 and 31. This wave saw thousands of migrants arrive in the city, putting pressure on Spanish authorities to process their files and deport them to Morocco. According to the Spanish government, 7,533 migrants have been deported from Ceuta to Morocco since the beginning of August.
The deportation process has been slow due to legal and administrative hurdles. Spanish Interior Minister Ángel Víctor Torres announced on Thursday that 7,099 migrants had returned voluntarily, while 364 had been deported. However, the process of deporting migrants who arrived during the July wave is still ongoing, with the Spanish government facing difficulties in processing their files.
The Spanish government has acknowledged that the process of deporting migrants from Ceuta is taking longer than expected. According to the government, it may take up to 12 weeks to process the files of migrants who arrived during the July wave. To speed up the process, the government is seeking to amend the law to allow for faster deportation.
The legislative amendment is also linked to a legal issue that arose after a decision by the Spanish Supreme Court regarding deportation at the border. The court ruled that the mechanism for rejecting migrants at the border does not apply to those who enter the city by swimming when there are no physical border controls. This has created a "legal vacuum" that the government is seeking to fill.
The Spanish government's move to accelerate deportation of migrants from Ceuta to Morocco reflects the ongoing diplomatic contacts between Madrid and Rabat on migration issues. During their meeting in New York, Albares and Bourita discussed the issue of deporting irregular migrants who remain in Ceuta. The Moroccan government has reiterated its cooperation in facilitating the return of migrants who do not meet the conditions for international protection.
Key points
- The Spanish government is preparing a legislative amendment to speed up deportation of migrants from Ceuta to Morocco.
- The amendment aims to reduce the time needed to process the files of migrants and grant retrospective effect to allow for faster deportation.
- The Spanish government is seeking to address legal and administrative hurdles that have slowed down the deportation process.
