Morocco deports illegal immigrants bound for Spain News
Morocco deports illegal immigrants bound for Spain

[JURIST] In the latest reversal for African asylum seekers heading for Europe, the north African state of Morocco Monday began deporting potential immigrants, sending a plane carrying 140 West Africans off to Senegal. A second flight carrying another 140 Senegalese was to take off for Dakar later Monday and another 600 migrants are slated for deportation in coming days. The would-be immigrants had been picked up around Morocco or flushed out of Spanish enclaves on the northern Moroccan coast. Morocco is the conduit to Europe for many sub-Saharan Africans trying to escape poverty and has been a focal point of recent immigration-related disturbances which have already resulted in a number of deaths; at least 11 more migrants were killed Monday as they rushed border fences. Last week Spain deported 73 Africans [JURIST report] who attempted to enter along the Moroccan border. El Pais has local coverage [in Spanish]. AP has more.