Spain has deported 16 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia to Morocco after rejecting their asylum applications in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, prompting criticism from human rights organisations.
The deportations, carried out in October 2026, were the first of their kind from Ceuta since a mass border crossing in July, when tens of thousands of people entered the Spanish territory from Morocco.
Spain’s Interior Ministry confirmed that a group of migrants had been returned after Morocco agreed to receive them. However, it did not disclose their number or nationalities.
Migrant support organisations operating in Ceuta said 16 people from Senegal, Nigeria, Yemen, Cameroon and Bangladesh were among those deported.
The returns have raised concerns among rights groups, which argue that Spain has not adequately assessed the potential risks migrants could face in Morocco. They also questioned whether the deportations comply with the human rights commitments of Spain’s government.
Virginia Alvarez, a researcher at Amnesty International, accused Spain of failing to uphold human rights protections for people crossing its borders in Ceuta and Melilla. She also raised concerns about Morocco’s treatment of migrants from other countries.
Morocco’s Interior Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
Spain’s Interior Ministry defended the returns, saying Morocco is considered a safe country by the European Union and that deportations are carried out with the necessary safeguards. However, it did not provide further details about the protections applied to the deported migrants.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) clarified that it was not involved in the deportations. The organisation said it does not participate in forced removals and that decisions on deportation remain the responsibility of national governments.
IOM explained that its voluntary return programmes help migrants who choose to return to their countries of origin and support them in rebuilding their lives.
The deportations come amid continuing pressure on Spanish authorities to resolve the migration situation in Ceuta following the mass arrivals in July. Over a 48-hour period, approximately 80,000 people crossed from Morocco into the enclave, which, alongside Melilla, forms Spain’s land borders with Africa.
Although most of those who crossed returned within days, thousands remained in Ceuta. Spanish authorities have since accommodated around 8,000 migrants in reception centres while processing asylum applications submitted by many of those still in the territory.
The government has also faced criticism over the return of migrants to Morocco. Several organisations, including Amnesty International, have complained to Spain’s ombudsman that some of the more than 13,000 people the government says have voluntarily returned since mid-August were actually pressured or forced to leave.
The latest deportations have intensified concerns about how Spain handles rejected asylum seekers in Ceuta, particularly migrants who are not Moroccan nationals and may face risks if returned to Moroccan territory.