On Thursday evening, three Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from The Left group were forcibly returned to Spain after arriving in Laayoune, the capital of the contentious Western Sahara region, which is under partial Moroccan control.
Upon landing, the MEPs were met by uniformed officials who denied them entry, reportedly stating that they were declared persona non grata. Finnish MEP Jussi Saramo described the experience, stating they were “violently forced back” onto their aircraft. He recounted the incident in a phone interview shortly after their return to the Canary Islands.
“There was no reason given, they just told us that we were persona non grata, and that officials of Morocco denied [us the right] to go there,”
Alongside Saramo were Isabel Serra from Spain and Catarina Martins from Portugal. The lawmakers contended that their visit was intended for an “observation mission,” aimed at assessing compliance with a recent ruling by the EU’s Court of Justice. This ruling annulled agricultural and fishing agreements between the European Union and Morocco concerning products sourced from the disputed territory.
Background of the Western Sahara dispute
In October 2024, the EU Court of Justice sided with the Polisario Front, a group advocating for the independence of Western Sahara, which had sought to annul trade deals that allowed Morocco to export agricultural and fish products from the annexed territory to the EU. Morocco, which has maintained claims of sovereignty over Western Sahara—historically a Spanish colony—faces opposition from Algeria, which supports the Polisario Front’s quest for self-determination.
Saramo emphasized the significance of their mission, noting their intention to meet with the Polisario Front and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs). He expressed concerns about Morocco’s intentions, stating, “Morocco does not want us to see the human rights abuses they are committing in the Western Sahara, which they illegally occupy.” This sentiment was echoed in his social media posts following the incident.
Response and future actions
In response to the expulsion, the MEPs plan to lodge a formal complaint with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and European Council President António Costa, as well as the foreign ministries of their respective countries. Saramo stated, “The European Union has the power to influence Morocco.”
When approached for comments regarding the incident, a spokesperson for the European Parliament asserted that “MEPs have to be treated with dignity and respect.” Meanwhile, the Moroccan embassy in Belgium and the EU delegation in Rabat have yet to respond to inquiries regarding the situation.