The Sahrawi asylum seekers in Spain who began a hunger strike yesterday at Barajas airport will be sent back to Morocco, Interior Ministry sources confirmed to ABC. The ten Moroccan citizens, who according to their lawyer are “persecuted Sahrawi activists,” began a hunger strike to request international protection, which was ultimately denied by the Spanish authorities.
Up to 57 Moroccan citizens were in one of the asylum rooms at Madrid airport yesterday, ten of whom expressed their intention to go on hunger strike, according to the department headed by Fernando Grande-Marlaska. After their first night in this situation, during which health personnel “continuously monitored their situation in case specific assistance was needed”, only five of them refused breakfast on Monday and the other five continued their complaints.
Finally, the authorities rejected the request of these ten Sahrawis because, according to sources from the Interior, “they do not meet the conditions of authorization to enter the country, in accordance with the legislation in force.” For reasons of data processing, no further information was specified on the reasons why their request was rejected, nor on the situation of the rest of the citizens who remained yesterday at the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport.
In an interview with RNE, lawyer Fatma El Galia, secretary general of the Association of Sahrawi Lawyers of Spain (APRASE), assured yesterday that these citizens are “persecuted Sahrawi activists”. “Some have been in prison and have been tortured. “We are faced with proven facts to request international protection, because they are in danger if they return to their country,” explained the lawyer.
