Strengthening Identification Protocols for Moroccan Returnees
Eduardo García, the provincial secretary general of the Spanish Confederation of Police (CEP) in Ceuta, has formally requested the Superior Police Headquarters to review and potentially enhance the identification protocols for Moroccans returning voluntarily to Morocco. This request follows a significant influx of individuals who entered Ceuta irregularly during the crisis that began on July 30. In a letter addressed to the police chief, García emphasized the critical need to ensure that these immigrants leave Spanish territory with verifiable identities while also checking for any existing judicial requirements or police alerts.
The CEP's request, made under the Organic Law 9/2015, enacted on July 28, which regulates the personnel of the National Police, underscores the importance of maintaining public safety and preventing crime. The union has voiced concerns that expediting the return process should not compromise the necessary checks for ensuring citizen safety, adherence to judicial resolutions, and the prevention of criminal activities. During the initial 48 hours of the crisis, the overwhelming number of irregular entries and their rapid occurrence made it practically impossible to conduct standard individual identification procedures. The immediate operational priority was to manage the situation, regain control of the border, and ensure public safety, all within a context of insufficient police resources.
Addressing Potential Criminal Activities and Judicial Alerts
As over two months have passed since those initial events, the CEP argues that circumstances have evolved, and the gradual normalization of returns should now allow for the restoration of reliable police identification guarantees. The union contends that facilitating voluntary returns to Morocco must not lead to individuals leaving Spain without authorities having access to sufficiently reliable and verifiable data regarding their identities. One significant concern raised is the possibility that some returnees may have been involved in criminal activities during their stay in Ceuta, the authorship of which has yet to be clarified. An appropriate identification process would enable subsequent checks and aid ongoing police investigations.
In this regard, the CEP has highlighted the importance of obtaining biometric data where legally permissible, allowing for cross-referencing with the fingerprint data stored in the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). The union warns that allowing individuals to exit without conducting the necessary checks could result in missed opportunities to identify potential offenders and complicate the resolution of outstanding criminal cases. Furthermore, the letter stresses the need to ascertain whether individuals wishing to return to Morocco have existing arrest warrants, judicial requisitions, police alerts, or other active measures that must be addressed before their departure is authorized. The absence of reliable identification could hinder the detection of these circumstances and permit individuals wanted by judicial authorities to leave Spain without confirming their true identities.
Another issue raised is the likelihood that some citizens might attempt to re-enter Spanish territory using a different identity than the one initially provided. The union argues that having reliable identification records would assist in detecting potential multiple identities, reconstructing prior entries and exits, and verifying the existence of administrative or judicial measures. This information could also be critical for future immigration procedures and international protection requests, always in full compliance with the legal guarantees afforded to applicants.
The CEP presents these identification checks as a vital tool for improving oversight of police actions, while also considering the specific circumstances that may arise in each case. Additionally, the union urges the preservation of traceability for police actions carried out during the crisis, asserting that accurately identifying returnees and documenting their departures would enable a clearer understanding of who has genuinely left Spain. This would help avoid duplications or errors in administrative records and provide reliable information for future investigations or judicial requirements. The letter references articles 20 and 21 of the Immigration Regulation, approved by Royal Decree 1155/2024, which encompasses voluntary exits from the national territory, including those occurring without documentation or with defective documentation, and mandates verification and documentation actions by police control services.
The CEP invokes this regulatory framework to advocate for the conduct of returns in a manner that upholds the necessary guarantees, taking into account the legal and operational peculiarities of the situation. Among its requests, the union calls for a review of existing protocols to ensure, to the extent legally required and operationally feasible, sufficiently reliable identification, checks for any requisitions and alerts, necessary police cross-references, and documentation of the identity and departure of each person. Furthermore, the CEP requests that if the available human, technical, or material resources are inadequate to carry out these actions, reinforcements be requested from the central organs of the General Police Directorate.
In conclusion, Eduardo García asserts that the return process to Morocco should be expedited while simultaneously ensuring that adequate guarantees are in place. He argues that both objectives are compatible and that identification checks must facilitate the clarification of potential criminal activities and fulfill police and judicial obligations before individuals leave Spanish territory.
As reported by elfarodeceuta.es.
