Spain rejects asylum request of Sahrawi claiming persecution by Morocco

The Spanish Ministry of the Interior has rejected an asylum request from a Sahrawi national with Moroccan citizenship, who identifies as a «Polisario activist» and claims to be «persecuted by Morocco».

According to Iberian media reports, the applicant, Abdessalam Abdellah Khalifa, 29, arrived at Madrid airport on a flight from Casablanca. In his application, he alleged that he had «been tortured by the Moroccan authorities» and that members of his family «were imprisoned in Morocco for their activism in favor of Western Sahara's independence», including his mother, who was «incarcerated from 1979 to 1981».

During the review of his application, Khalifa refused the assistance of a Moroccan interpreter. His legal defense intends to appeal the Ministry's decision in court. This tactic has previously helped Sahrawis in similar situations avoid deportation to Morocco.