A court ruling has convicted former Spanish government representative in Ceuta, Salvadora Mateos, and former first deputy to the city’s government from the Popular Party, Mabel Dio, for administrative fraud. They have been banned from holding public office for nine years.
The court established that both officials oversaw the illegal deportation of 55 Moroccan minors who had entered Ceuta unlawfully in August 2021. This was conducted without adhering to the legal procedures established in Spain and disregarded the best interests of the children, representing a serious violation of national and international child protection laws.
The incident traces back to May 17 and 18, 2021, when Ceuta experienced an unprecedented influx of over 15,000 migrants within 48 hours amid diplomatic tensions between Morocco and Spain, sparked by Spain’s hosting of Polisario Front leader Ibrahim Ghali for treatment. This was viewed by Rabat as an “insult,” prompting Morocco to reduce border surveillance with Ceuta. Among the migrants, about 1,200 identified themselves as minors and were documented as such.
According to the ruling highlighted by Spanish media, Mabel Dio hastily took steps to return the minors to Morocco after consultations with Spanish ministries, citing a 2007 agreement between Madrid and Rabat regarding the deportation of unaccompanied minors. On May 24, 2021, she sent a message to Salvadora Mateos proposing to activate the agreement for the deportation, despite the fact that the agreement does not exempt compliance with legal procedures specified in Spanish law.
The court confirmed that both officials were aware that the operation did not align with legal standards, particularly immigration laws and child protection legislation. Nonetheless, they proceeded with the operation despite internal warnings, including a caution from Antonia Palomo, the official responsible for minor cases in Ceuta, who testified, “What happened was a clear fraud against the law.”
Between August 13 and 16, 2021, dozens of minors were unexpectedly and violently transported from shelters to the Moroccan border, where they were placed in small trucks and handed over to Moroccan authorities. Witnesses reported that some minors disappeared following deportation, while others harmed themselves to resist their removal.
During the trial, the officials attempted to defend their actions by claiming they were following orders from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior led by Fernando Grande-Marlaska. However, the court dismissed this justification, noting that no official order for deportation had been issued. Rafael Pérez, former Secretary of State for Security, stated that a communication from his ministry on August 10, 2021, was merely “administrative communication” and not an executive order.
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