Only 160 Moroccan nationals have been deported from the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta following the mass border breach in late July, according to police sources cited by Spanish newspaper ABC.
The deported individuals had committed various offences and agreed to leave Spain in exchange for having their sentences commuted, with pledges not to return for a specified period, the report said.
The figure is significantly lower than the latest government data on deportation orders. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said around 300 court orders for deportation had been issued on criminal grounds.
At the same time, more than 5,300 migrants who remained in Ceuta after the July influx have voluntarily returned to Morocco, according to the Spanish government.
More than 70,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta on July 30 and 31 by swimming or wading across the breakwater separating the Spanish territory from Morocco. Most returned to Morocco within hours, but thousands remained in the city.
Madrid deployed the military to help maintain security amid the unprecedented influx, while authorities began identifying migrants to determine whether they qualified for asylum. Unaccompanied minors cannot be summarily deported.
Angel Victor Torres, the minister overseeing the government’s response, said on September 13 that 5,321 people had voluntarily returned to Morocco since August 10.
He added that 90 people had withdrawn requests for international protection, while almost 1,000 others were being registered to complete their return procedures.
Ceuta authorities have also called for the permanent deployment of personnel from the EU’s Frontex border agency to monitor illegal migration in the city.
By Sabina Mammadli
