Portugal rejects Moroccan migrants’ asylum requests in Algarve

Rabat: Portuguese authorities have refused 34 out of 38 asylum requests submitted by Moroccan migrants who arrived on August 8 at Boca do Rio beach in Vila do Bispo, in the Algarve region.

According to multiple Portuguese reports, the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA) described the requests as “unfounded.”

The claims were based on political, economic, and sexual orientation grounds. Four cases involving unaccompanied minors remain under review.

The group included 25 men, six women, and seven minors. They traveled in a wooden boat before being intercepted that evening. Initially, they were housed in a pavilion in Sagres.

Some required hospital care before their transfer to temporary accommodation centers.

On August 9, the duty judge at the Silves court ordered their expulsion and transfer to the centers, setting a 60-day deadline for their deportation.

Authorities reported that only four of the migrants carried identity documents.

In recent years, irregular immigration has become increasingly common, drawing men, women, and minors into perilous journeys in search of better prospects.

These crossings often lead to repeated incidents of authorities intercepting migrant groups at sea or on beaches.

In 2024, Morocco blocked 78,685 irregular migration attempts, a figure that reflects the country’s firm approach to ongoing migration pressures. Moroccan Craft Products

According to the Ministry of Interior, the majority of those intercepted were nationals from West African countries, who accounted for 58% of the total, followed by 12% from the Maghreb and 9% from East and Central Africa.

Authorities also reported 14 coordinated attempts to cross into the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, involving more than 4,290 migrants, underlining the continued strain on northern migration routes.