Local authorities in Laayoune on Saturday prevented three Spanish citizens from entering Moroccan territory via Hassan I Airport after it was discovered they were carrying political agendas supporting the separatist Polisario Front, sources told Hespress.
The individuals involved were lawyers María Dolores and Flora Ramos, and politician Silvestre Manuel Suárez.
The source also noted that they were deported on the same flight they had arrived on from Las Palmas through Hassan I Airport.
The source further explained that this decision aligns with Morocco’s firm stance against any attempts to exploit professional or political statuses in order to pursue agendas that contradict national sovereignty.
The latest incident comes amid increased efforts by European politicians and activists to enter Morocco’s Sahara in recent months, raising concerns about their motives. In February, Moroccan authorities expelled four Members of the European Parliament and two of their aides after they tried to visit Laayoune without official authorization. This visit was deemed “provocative” and part of a broader attempt to promote a separatist agenda.
These movements coincide with a growing diplomatic shift in Europe, as major countries like France and Spain now support Morocco’s autonomy proposal for the Sahara, signaling a decline in the influence of the Polisario and Algeria.
Experts view these visits as a reaction to this shift, aiming to revive European support for the Polisario, particularly at the non-official level.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita previously dismissed a similar attempt by European Parliament members in February as a “disruptive move with no impact,” emphasizing that all visits to Morocco must follow clear regulatory procedures, just as in any other country.
This echoed Morocco’s 2013 response, when it barred European MPs from entering the Sahara, citing an institutional framework with the European Union that regulates such visits.
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