chargement...
A court in Ceuta has sentenced Salvadora Mateos, former Spanish government delegate in Ceuta, and Mabel Deu, former first vice president of the city’s government, to nine years of disqualification from holding public office. The ruling, announced by the Andalusian High Court of Justice, stems from their administrative misconduct in connection with the deportation of 55 Moroccan minors in 2021.
According to Spanish media, the ruling bars both officials from holding any public office, whether elected or appointed, at the national, regional, or local levels, as well as from carrying out any governmental functions at these levels.
The case dates back to May 2021, when around 15,000 people crossed into Ceuta at the height of the diplomatic crisis between Spain and Morocco. Among them were approximately 1,200 migrants who claimed to be minors.
The judges found that the then–first vice president of Ceuta’s government took «necessary measures» to return 55 of these minors to Morocco «without intentionally adhering to any legal procedure», acting in coordination with the government delegate. The court ruled that Salvadora Mateos was «aware that the operation had no legal basis» and failed to comply with the provisions of the 2007 framework agreement.
While acknowledging the challenges faced by authorities at the time, including «limited resources and capabilities» and mounting public pressure, the judges stressed that the defendants «knew the illegality and criminality of deporting the minors». They concluded that «the deportation decision, as it was executed, was not only arbitrary but also clearly unjust».
