DR ‹ › The Spanish government has denied issuing any instructions to carry out arrests or fast-track deportations to Morocco of migrants in an irregular situation. The response follows accusations by the Association of Social Work Professionals «Tejiendo Redes», which claims that some individuals are being detained before they can benefit from the exceptional regularization process announced by Madrid on January 27, according to Spanish media reports. In a statement, the association said that social workers and lawyers in the Campo de Gibraltar area, particularly in Algeciras and surrounding regions, have reported «reliable» information about security operations targeting undocumented migrants. These operations are said to take place near foreign consulates and public transport hubs, where migrants often go to complete administrative procedures. The association argues that deportations carried out in less than 24 hours «effectively amount to forced repatriation», depriving those concerned of fundamental rights, including access to legal counsel, the right to understand the reasons for their arrest in a language they comprehend, and the ability to appeal deportation orders. It also highlighted the timing of these operations, which coincide with a transitional period ahead of the implementation of the regularization process. The decree governing the procedure has yet to be published in the official gazette, preventing applications from being submitted, even though the process is expected to begin in mid-April. For their part, official sources from the government's sub-delegation in Cádiz denied the allegations, stressing that no such instructions have been issued and that the national police have not launched any campaign targeting irregular migrants for deportation. However, the association maintains its claims, citing at least one documented case of an individual who was detained and deported to Morocco on the same day or the following day, raising serious concerns about respect for basic legal safeguards.
