In a letter addressed to the relevant Spanish ministers (Interior/Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration) and made public today, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović “urges” the authorities to find an alternative to lodging migrants—including asylum seekers—in the Melilla bullring.
Requisitioned due to the health lockdown of the temporary stay centre [CETI] itself, these arenas currently shelter around 500 people who are in a highly precarious situation with regard to hygiene, natural light, food and water supplies, and the possibility of initiating the asylum application procedure.
Referring to two decisions of the Spanish Supreme Court dated 29 July 2020, the commissioner notes that anyone who has applied for asylum in Ceuta or Melilla has the right to move freely throughout Spain. Consequently, she calls on the Spanish authorities to transfer more people—specifically asylum seekers and vulnerable people—to the mainland so as to offer them solutions that are more respectful of human rights and to reduce the pressure on Melilla, which has a limited hosting capacity. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)