Spain deports more than a dozen migrants from Ceuta, drawing criticism from Amnesty International

Spain has deported more than a dozen migrants from its North African enclave of Ceuta. It was the first deportation of its kind since a mass border crossing into the territory from Morocco in July.

The Spanish Interior Ministry said on Tuesday that the migrants were deported after their asylum applications were rejected, and that Morocco had agreed to receive them.

Nongovernmental organisations told the Reuters news agency that 16 people, from African, Middle Eastern and Asian countries, had been deported.

About 80,000 people entered Ceuta from Morocco over a 48-hour period in late July. At least 100 people died during that mass crossing into the autonomous city, which covers just 18.5 square kilometres and has a population of about 80,000.

Most of those who entered in late July left within days, but about 8,000 migrants still remain. Some are sleeping on the streets, while others are being housed by Spain, charities and civil society groups.

The crisis has become a major political challenge for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who is seeking re-election in snap polls scheduled for November 29.

Tens of thousands of protesters have gathered across Spain in recent months to denounce the government’s handling of the situation, and right-wing parties have used the crisis to attack Sanchez.

The leader of the far-right Vox Party, Santiago Abascal, has branded the prime minister a “traitor”.

Amnesty International warned that the human rights of those deported on Tuesday could be at risk. Its researcher Virginia Alvarez said Spain was not ensuring that human rights guarantees were met for people who cross its borders in Ceuta and Melilla, despite its progressive speeches in Europe.

Madrid disputes those accusations. The interior ministry told Reuters in a statement that the European Union considers Morocco to be a safe country, adding that deportations are carried out with all the necessary safeguards.