A new witness delves into irregular expulsions of African immigrants by the Civil Guard in Melilla. At the Spanish NGO, as Prodein or CEAR, the Ombudsman, is now added that of the U.S. Human Rights Watch (HRW) dedicated to the defense of human rights.
Eleven of the 15 immigrants in Melilla interviewed by HRW claimed that " Spanish authorities returned them to see if the Moroccan without need of international protection." The other four respondents also were expelled from Spain, but not be delivered to the Moroccan security forces. In the first group there were five children. They managed to penetrate again later in the autonomous city.
" By thus acting contrary to the Guardia Civil Spain's obligations under the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, which includes the right to seek asylum and the return policy of the EU" establishing minimum common rules for the management of irregular migration flows.
The charge HRW against the Civil Guard is added to that of Spanish NGOs reproached violating the immigration law which states that all who enter Spain illegally will be conducted " as soon as possible to the relevant police station," police "to you can proceed to their identification and, if applicable, your return. " Have " the right to legal assistance and the assistance of an interpreter."
" The summary expulsions [ from Melilla ] put migrants at risk of further violence," HRW continues. "It is reasonable to think that the Spanish authorities should be aware that migrants are at risk of being abused if they fall into the hands of the Moroccan authorities," he adds.
The American NGO also interviewed two children under 14 to 17 years, despite being hosted in the center of the Immaculate Conception of the city of Melilla, which protected them, were transferred, according to his account, by the police to the gate and there delivered to the Civil Guard opened a door and put them in the hands of Moroccans.
Ahmed, 17, told the HRW researcher how " Spanish officials viewed from its side of the border to Moroccan guards beat them after they fell into their hands." From a legal point of view the atrocities committed by the Spanish authorities against children are even more serious, says the NGO.
In its conclusions HRW urges the Spanish government to " stop forced return to Morocco " of sub-Saharan until that country " show that is able to consistently protect asylum seekers and refugees and to offer a human treatment of migrants ".
Also asked to ensure that the Guardia Civil " recourse only to a minimum and proportional use of force" and, above all, to " refrain from using unlawful force against minors (...) ".
In its 2008 report the Ombudsman noted: " a minor and an adult who were returned to Morocco [ from Ceuta ] without the institution of any proceedings." "(...) The child was treated at the hospital of Tetuan and subsequently transferred to the Algerian border, being deported along with his companion," it went. "(...) The adult tried to seek asylum since he was rescued from the water by the Guardia Civil in Ceuta, but your request was served."
The one that has consistently denounced the irregular deportations, particularly of children, has been Melilla Prodein NGOs. This past weekend made ​​public a new video, shot in August 2013, which looks like a small boat of the Guardia Civil collects two immigrants swim in the waters of Melilla, enjoins them to cling to their craft and their forcibly moved to the Moroccan coast. Leaving them to several tens of meters from the shore.
Last week, Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz, admitted for the first time, there may be "sporadic" cases in which the Civil Guard eject hot city to immigrants through a service door of the gate, ie in breach of immigration law.
And contradicted the director of the Civil Guard, Arsenio Fernandez de Mesa, and the government delegate in Melilla, Abdelmalik the Barkani, last fall flatly denied. The Barkani said after the local press that the words of Fernandez Diaz in Madrid had been misinterpreted.
Tags: complaint, human, irregular, Melilla, returns, rights