Young Moroccan migrant dies after hunger strike in Spain, authorities investigate

A young Moroccan man has died in Spain after reportedly going on a hunger strike to protest the difficulty of obtaining an asylum appointment.  

In response to the incident, Elma Saiz, the Spanish Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, expressed condolences for the man’s death and assured the public on Monday that “protocols” were followed.  

An autopsy is currently underway to determine the cause of death.

The man, identified only as being born in 2001, was staying at a state-run shelter in San Fernando de Henares, near Madrid.  

According to the Ombudsman of Spain, a national institution that investigates public administration wrongdoings, the man had no prior health problems. 

On Thursday, he began experiencing stomach pains and went into cardiac arrest just a few hours later.  

Despite efforts by medical personnel at the scene and later at the 12 de Octubre Hospital, he died early Friday morning.

The Ombudsman has launched an official investigation into the death.  They are particularly interested in how the situation was handled by the shelter, which is managed by the Red Cross.

According to reports from fellow migrants at the shelter, the man informed staff he was unwell but was allegedly told they could not provide medical attention.  

The young Moroccan was then accompanied to a health center where he was prescribed medication for heartburn.  His condition later worsened, and an ambulance was called to the shelter.  Medics attempted to revive him before transporting him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 2:00 am.

The death has sparked protests by immigrant rights groups who gathered outside the San Fernando de Henares city hall.  

The rights groups allege the man and other migrants at the shelter have been unable to secure appointments to formally request asylum, despite being in Spain for over three months.  

These groups claim the death is a tragic consequence of a system that fails to adequately support asylum seekers, leaving them feeling frustrated and desperate.  

The lack of a clear path to asylum can have a significant mental toll on migrants, adding to the already stressful experience of displacement. 

The Spanish government maintains that established procedures were followed in this case.  However, the Ombudsman’s investigation and the ongoing autopsy are expected to shed more light on the circumstances surrounding the man’s death, including whether the reported difficulties in obtaining an asylum appointment played any role.