A Polisario-affiliated activist has been detained at Bilbao Airport in Spain for the past 13 days as he awaits a decision on his request for political asylum.
The 23-year-old man, whose identity has not been disclosed, arrived on a flight from Marrakech on June 23 and requested asylum upon arrival, claiming he faces persecution in Morocco due to his separatist activities.
According to reports from Spanish media, the activist is a law student from Laayoune who has been involved in pro-Polisario demonstrations.
He had initially planned to travel to Cuba via Madrid but decided to seek asylum in Bilbao after being denied entry into Spain.
The activist is being held in a designated area for individuals denied entry, which consists of three rooms – one for men, one for women, and one for families – and is equipped with beds, a bathroom, and a shower.
The Spanish National Court has rejected the activist’s appeal to suspend his deportation, stating that there is no imminent risk to his life or physical integrity.
The court noted that the activist is not a prominent Polisario representative and has only claimed to have participated in demonstrations.
The activist’s family has ties to Spain dating back to when Western Sahara was a Spanish colony, and they possess Spanish-issued documents, including a family book.
Despite this ruling, the activist remains in the airport’s detention area for individuals denied entry. He has reportedly begun a hunger strike to protest the denial of his asylum request, leading to a deterioration in his health.
In the early hours of Friday morning, he was transferred to a hospital for medical attention. The activist has expressed fear that if deported to Morocco, he will face imprisonment and mistreatment.
The activist has also applied for stateless status, a designation supported by the UNHCR for Sahrawi individuals. This request is being processed separately from his appeal against deportation.
The case bears similarities to that of Husein Amadour, another Polisario-affiliated activist who was deported from Spain to Morocco in 2019 and is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence.
Organizations such as Zehar Errefuxiatuekin have expressed concern over the potential consequences the activist may face if returned to Morocco.
The Polisario Front is considered a separatist group by the Moroccan government, and its activities are viewed as a threat to the country’s territorial integrity.
The Moroccan authorities have acknowledged issues of overcrowding in the country’s prisons, with reports indicating that, as of 2021, each inmate had an average space of only 1.74 square meters.
As of Friday, the activist was expected to be deported to Morocco, but his deportation was delayed when the pilot of the scheduled flight refused to take him on board, citing security concerns. Another attempt to deport the activist is expected to be made on Saturday.
