The Spanish government has formally requested Morocco’s cooperation in preventing Senegalese passport holders who have not held Schengen visas in the past two years from boarding flights with connections in Spain until February 19.
As reported by Schengen Visa Info, the move comes ahead of the implementation of transit visa requirements for Senegalese traveling through Spain en route to other destinations.
According to SchengenVisaInfo.com, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a diplomatic note through the Spanish Embassy in Rabat to the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, outlining a request for cooperation measures.
The Spanish Embassy in Morocco emphasized the temporary nature of the measure and called on Moroccan authorities to impose restrictions on commercial flights to non-Schengen countries with a stopover in Spain. In particular, Senegalese passport holders who have not recently obtained a Schengen visa are subject to this directive.
Additionally, Spain requested Morocco to maintain these measures until February 19, in line with the introduction of transit visa requirements for Senegalese travelers transiting through Spain.
The decision to introduce transit visas follows a marked increase in the number of Senegalese passport holders seeking asylum upon arrival at Madrid’s Barajas airport, often after transiting through Spain. The surge in asylum seekers is putting a strain on airport facilities, causing overcrowding and logistical problems.
Elena Muñoz, a spokeswoman for the Spanish Commission for Refugees (CEAR), said the situation at Barajas airport was “unsustainable”. Asylum seekers, including Senegalese nationals, reportedly face dire conditions, with some forced to sleep on makeshift bedding in terminal transit areas.
To deal with the escalating situation, Spanish authorities have urged Moroccan authorities to inform national airline Royal Air Maroc about travelers who may apply for asylum upon arrival in Spain. These measures are aimed at reducing the strain on resources and facilities at Madrid’s airport, where the influx of asylum seekers is steadily increasing.
The request for cooperation between Spain and Morocco highlights the challenges posed by the increasing number of asylum applications in Spain. According to data from the Home Office’s Office for Asylum and Refugees (OAR), there has been a significant increase in the number of applications for international protection, reaching 163,218 in the previous year. This figure represents a 37% increase from 2022 and is the highest since the firm was founded in 1992.
[With information sourced from Schengen Visa Info]