Portuguese authorities have rejected 34 of the 38 asylum applications submitted by Moroccan migrants who arrived on August 8 in a rickety wooden boat at Boca do Rio beach, in Vila do Bispo, Algarve. The requests, citing political, economic reasons and sexual orientation, were deemed «unfounded» by AIMA, the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum, Portuguese media reported on Tuesday. Four applications from unaccompanied minors remain under review. The group, made up of 25 men, six women and seven minors, was intercepted at around 8:05 p.m. and initially housed in a sports pavilion in Sagres, southern Algarve. Some required hospital treatment before being transferred to temporary accommodation centers. On August 9, the duty judge at Silves Court ordered their forced removal and transfer to these centers, setting a 60-day deadline for deportation. Authorities noted that only four migrants had identification documents.
