Spain returns 16 rejected asylum seekers from Ceuta to Morocco, drawing rights groups' criticism
Spain has sent back to Morocco more than a dozen migrants who reached Ceuta and were refused asylum, the first such deportation since July's mass crossing. Amnesty International and other NGOs criticise the move; Spain's Interior Ministry says Morocco is a safe country and safeguards were applied.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Spain has returned to Morocco more than a dozen migrants who reached the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and were turned down for asylum, the first deportation of its kind from the enclave since a mass border crossing in July. The Straits TimesRC “the first deportation of its kind from the enclave since a mass border crossing in July” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The IndependentLC “It marks the first deportation of its kind from the region since a mass border crossing in July” Read at The Independent ↗ Mixed · 2Spain's Interior Ministry said the group was sent back after Morocco agreed to receive them, and that they remain on Moroccan territory at present. It declined to give numbers or nationalities. The Straits TimesRC “It declined to give numbers or nationalities” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The IndependentLC “The Interior Ministry said the group was sent back to Morocco after it agreed to receive them” Read at The Independent ↗ Mixed · 2Migrant and rights charities operating in Ceuta said 16 people from Senegal, Nigeria, Yemen, Cameroon and Bangladesh were deported. The Straits TimesRC “16 people from Senegal, Nigeria, Yemen, Cameroon and Bangladesh were deported” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The IndependentLC “16 people from Senegal, Nigeria, Yemen, Cameroon and Bangladesh were deported” Read at The Independent ↗
Mixed · 2The NGOs say such returns fail to take into account the risks of Morocco's treatment of migrants from other countries and contradict the values of Spain's leftist government. The Straits TimesRC “fail to take into account the risks associated with Morocco's treatment of migrants from other countries” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The IndependentLC “contradict the values of Spain's leftist government” Read at The Independent ↗ Mixed · 2Virginia Alvarez, an Amnesty International researcher, called Spain's stance hypocritical, saying that despite its "progressive" speeches in Europe it is not ensuring human rights guarantees for people who cross its borders in Ceuta and Melilla, and that "Morocco does not respect many human rights." The Straits TimesRC “Spain, despite its (progressive) speeches in Europe, is not ensuring that human rights guarantees are met” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The IndependentLC “Morocco does not respect many human rights.” Read at The Independent ↗ Mixed · 2A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry said the EU considers Morocco a safe country and that deportations are carried out "with all the necessary safeguards", giving no further details. The Straits TimesRC “Morocco is considered by the EU to be a safe country, and deportations are carried out "with all the necessary safeguards"” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The IndependentLC “The spokesperson provided no further details.” Read at The Independent ↗
Right · 1According to Reuters, Morocco's Interior Ministry and the International Organization for Migration, which cooperates with Moroccan authorities on voluntary return programmes, did not respond to requests for comment. The Straits TimesRC “Neither Morocco's Interior Ministry nor the International Organization for Migration” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Mixed · 2Over 48 hours in July, some 80,000 people crossed from Morocco into Ceuta. Most returned within days, but thousands remain, and Spain is housing 8,000 migrants in reception centres and processing asylum applications lodged by most of those who stayed. The Straits TimesRC “Over 48 hours in July, some 80,000 people crossed from Morocco into Ceuta” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The IndependentLC “Spanish authorities are housing 8,000 migrants in reception centres” Read at The Independent ↗ Right · 1Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government is under pressure from the EU and a frustrated public to resolve the Ceuta crisis before elections on 29 November. The Straits TimesRC “under pressure from the EU and a frustrated populace to fix the Ceuta crisis before elections on November 29” Read at The Straits Times ↗
Mixed · 2Several NGOs including Amnesty International have complained to the Spanish ombudsman that some of the more than 13,000 people the government says returned to Morocco voluntarily since mid-August were forced to leave, including non-Moroccans. The Straits TimesRC “some of the more than 13,000 people the government says have returned to Morocco voluntarily since the middle of August were forced to leave” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The IndependentLC “including non-Moroccans” Read at The Independent ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- The Independent leads with the criticism, putting 'hypocritical' in the headline and the Amnesty quote in its standfirst, and adds Amnesty's wider criticism of Morocco's rights record.
- Emphasis
- Rights groups' objections and Morocco's human rights record (freedom of expression, women's and LGBTI rights).
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not say that Morocco's Interior Ministry and the IOM did not respond, and instead states that both responded without giving their replies.
- Charged language
- “branded ‘hypocritical’”
- For example
-
“Spain branded ‘hypocritical’ after deporting more than a dozen Ceuta asylum seekers to Morocco” — The Independent
“Morocco has received growing criticism for cracking down on freedom of expression and peaceful dissent.” — The Independent
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- The Straits Times runs Reuters copy that reports the deportation in a straightforward news style, with the rights-group outcry in the headline alongside the Interior Ministry's response.
- Emphasis
- The deportation, the government's safety assurance, and the political pressure before the 29 November elections.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not add background on Morocco's wider human rights record beyond Alvarez's quote.
- Charged language
- “outcry”
- For example
-
“Spain deports African, Asian asylum seekers to Morocco amid rights group outcry” — The Straits Times
“Neither Morocco's Interior Ministry nor the International Organization for Migration” — The Straits Times
What every side reports
- Spain returned more than a dozen rejected asylum seekers from Ceuta to Morocco, the first such deportation since July's mass crossing.
- NGOs say 16 people from Senegal, Nigeria, Yemen, Cameroon and Bangladesh were deported; the Interior Ministry gave no numbers.
- Spain's Interior Ministry says Morocco is considered safe by the EU and safeguards were applied.
- Amnesty International's Virginia Alvarez called Spain's position hypocritical.
- About 80,000 people crossed into Ceuta in 48 hours in July; 8,000 are in reception centres; elections are on 29 November.
Where accounts differ
-
Whether Morocco's Interior Ministry and the IOM responded to requests for comment
- Left
- The Independent says both Morocco's Interior Ministry and the IOM responded to requests for comment, without giving their replies.
- Right
- The Straits Times, carrying Reuters, says neither responded to Reuters' requests for comment.
Spain place
Its Interior Ministry says the returns were agreed with Morocco, that the EU considers Morocco safe, and that deportations have 'all the necessary safeguards'; it gave no numbers, nationalities or further details.
“Morocco is considered by the EU to be a safe country, and deportations are carried out "with all the necessary safeguards"” — The Straits Times
Morocco place
Morocco agreed to receive the group, according to Spain's Interior Ministry. Reuters says Morocco's Interior Ministry did not respond to its request for comment. Amnesty and NGOs say Morocco does not respect many human rights.
“after it agreed to receive them and they remained on Moroccan territory at present” — The Straits Times
“Morocco does not respect many human rights.” — The Straits Times
Ceuta place
The enclave is where the 16 were deported from. It remains at the centre of a crisis after the July crossing, with thousands of migrants still there.
“While most returned within days, thousands remain” — The Straits Times
Left1 article
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Spain branded ‘hypocritical’ after deporting more than a dozen Ceuta asylum seekers to Morocco
Critical Reworks the Reuters report with a headline and standfirst foregrounding the 'hypocritical' charge, and adds Amnesty's criticism of Morocco's record.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
-
The Straits TimesRC · · via Reuters
Spain deports African, Asian asylum seekers to Morocco amid rights group outcry
Neutral Reuters wire copy run by The Straits Times; reports the deportation, NGO criticism and the government's reply in a balanced news style.
- 27 Oct 13:05 First The Straits TimesRC Spain deports African, Asian asylum seekers to Morocco amid rights group outcry via Reuters
- 27 Oct 13:48 +42m The IndependentLC Spain branded ‘hypocritical’ after deporting more than a dozen Ceuta asylum seekers to Morocco
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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