Huelva Gate : Lawyers accuse the Spanish authorities of siding with farm owners

Spanish Magazine El Mar de Onuba has revisited the events of Sunday, June the 3d, when dozens of Moroccan farm workers were expelled to Morocco against their will. Earlier that morning, they were informed that their work contracts expired on the same day and that they would be immediately sent back to their country.

According to several eyewitnesses, the entrances and exits of Doñana 1998 (the farm where they used to work) «were all closed, padlocked and encircled by members of the Guardia Civil». Employers have supposedly told them to pack their clothes and get in buses that would take them to Algeciras, and then to Morocco.

Accused of siding with farm owners

The agreement signed between the Spanish and the Moroccan government allows these workers to stay in Spain until their contracts end. But according to the Association of the Administration of Justice Users (Ausaj) the matter was very sensitive. Indeed, many women at that time decided to file a complaint the following day against the firm, denouncing alleged abuse. And even a list containing the full names and passport numbers of these workers has been made.

However, on Sunday, lawyers were surprised to know that farm owners knew about the list and made sure to expel the women who were featured in it. For them, the police «was involved in this» as the Guardia Civil knew about the list.

On the same day, lawyers and SAT representatives went to the Huelva Court of First Instance to denounce what happened. According to them, «employers abducted these workers with the help of the Guardia Civil».

Finally, ten Moroccan farm workers were able to flee and file a complaint in Huelva. But it was not an easy thing to do, explain the lawyers, who denounce the attitude of the police during process. They «sought to exonerate employers and society», refusing to write the words «abuse and harassment».

For the record, Moroccan farm workers in Huelva are seeking the help of Spain’s national court, after refusing to attend hearings held in two local courts in the southern province. Currently the high institution is studying their request.