Madrid judge halts deportation of Sahrawi activists

A duty judge in Madrid has blocked the deportation of two Sahrawi activists to Morocco after the Spanish Interior Ministry rejected their asylum applications. The case has been referred to the National Court, which will issue a ruling this week.

The two individuals, who identify as human rights activists, Ali Hamou (30) and Abdelrahman Kamal (29), were being held in the inadmissible detainees hall at Barajas Airport. They were scheduled for deportation to Marrakech on the night of Sunday, September 15, according to Spanish media. The activists claim to «have fled the occupied territories of Western Sahara due to increased repression by Moroccan forces».

Despite the Interior Ministry's refusal to reconsider their asylum rejection decisions, the defense of the Sahrawi activists filed urgent requests to halt the deportation before the Madrid court. The judge ordered the head of the airport's borders to stop the deportations, pending the National Court's decision on whether the Sahrawi activists will be deported to Morocco.

At least five Sahrawi youths have successfully avoided deportation to Morocco, issued by Fernando Grande-Marlaska's ministry. The most recent case involves a Sahrawi with Moroccan nationality named Abdelsalam Abdallah Khalifa, who identifies as a Polisario Front activist. He claims to be «persecuted by Morocco».