MEPs expelled from Morocco after detention at airport
After being refused permission to disembark, the three MEPs were forced to stay on the plane and sent back to the Spanish island of Gran Canaria. Their trip had been organised in collaboration with the Polisario Front, recognised by the United Nations as the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people. The territory of Western Sahara is de facto controlled by Morocco, but its international status still disputed.
One of the MEPs, Isabel Serra of the leftist Unidas Podemos party, shared a video on her Instagram page showing how an alleged Moroccan agent pushed her and blocked her exit from the plane. All three lawmakers sit with the Left group in the European Parliament.
"A person climbed the stairs of the plane and had placed himself on the door," Serra told Euronews in an interview by video link. "He told us that we were 'persona non grata', without identifying himself.
"We kept asking why, but we did not receive any explanation. At the same time, there were other people, in civilian clothes, on the airstrip, talking to each other and laughing at us."
"Their aim was to prevent us from seeing what is happening in the occupied territory, how Morocco is exploiting the resources, and prevent us from meeting human rights associations and from defending the Saharawi cause," Serra said.
The trio of MEPs was indeed scheduled to meet with various human rights groups and Saharawi associations, including representatives of relatives of political prisoners, in the framework of a personal trip not officially recognised as parliamentary mission.
In her view, Serra and her fellow lawmakers were targeted because the Moroccan authorities are aware of their strong positions on the Saharawi cause.
The Spanish MEP also denounced the lack of support from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was contacted by her party during the detention at the airport. Several Spanish police agents were present on the plane, tasked with repatriating a number of Moroccan citizens to their country of origin. "But they said they could not intervene as they had no jurisdiction," Serra said.
The Spanish lawmaker said that she and her colleagues would each file complaints with their governments and to the EU institutions. "Will we ask the President of the European Parliament to hold Morocco accountable for violating our right to enter that territory and monitor human rights. We will also ask for a meeting with the President of the Council António Costa and the High Representative for External Affairs Kaja Kallas."
The expulsion of the MEPs follows a series of similar incidents in Western Sahara. So far this year, Morocco has prevented from entering and expelled several political representatives and journalists from the territory.
In a recent incident, journalist Asier Aldea Esnaola and youtuber Rama Jutglar, better known as Ramilla de Aventura, were detained for several hours at Casablanca airport.
The Moroccan authorities confiscated their passports as they tried to travel to Dakhla, a coastal city in Western Sahara, before expelling them from the country. Both denounced the incident through a video posted on social media.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
New Athletic captain Williams 'lucky' to represent migrants in Spain
Williams, 31, and his younger brother Nico are stars of the club which traditionally only fields players born or brought up in the Basque Country that straddles northern Spain and southwestern France. Bilbao-born Williams has spoken of how his Ghanaian parents crossed the Sahara on foot en route to Spain, with his mother clambering over the perilous border fence separating the Spanish exclave of Melilla from Morocco while pregnant with him. Asked about becoming the club's first black captain after the retirement of Oscar de Marcos and amid rising support for the far right, the Ghana striker told a press conference "it means a lot". "Destiny is destiny. If it were not for my parents, I would not be here, nor Nico," he said. "We are lucky to be able to represent many people who come from outside to earn their daily bread, and be a reference... it's important for us." An immigration debate gripped Spain earlier this month after three nights of violence between far-right groups and residents, many of North African origin, in the southeastern town of Torre Pacheco. The far-right Vox party, which has climbed in recent polls, seized on the unrest that erupted after a 68-year-old pensioner in Torre Pacheco told media he was attacked by three men of North African origin. Vox has also proposed the deportation of all irregular migrants, with tens of thousands arriving on Spanish shores every year on boats from Africa. "It seems that the far right is in fashion. We who have a voice will try to keep working, to continue silencing mouths and keep tearing down barriers," Williams said. The Williams brothers are set to play a pivotal role in Bilbao's upcoming domestic and Champions League campaigns after Spain forward Nico, 23, turned down reported interest from Barcelona and signed a new long-term contract.
France 24
5 hours ago
- France 24
US says Trump has 'final call' on China trade truce
The world's top two economies met for a second day of negotiations in Stockholm, with both sides seeking to avert tariffs from returning to sky-high levels that had ground trade between the rivals to an effective standstill. The meeting in a Swedish government building, led on the Chinese side by Vice Premier He Lifeng and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for the Americans, ended without a resolution but with the US side voicing optimism. Neither government has made public any details from the talks, which started on Monday, although US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Trump would have the "final call" on any extension in the truce. "Nothing has been agreed until we speak with President Trump," added Bessent, calling the tone of the talks "very constructive". The negotiations are taking place in the wake of a trade deal struck over the weekend that set US tariffs on most European Union imports at 15 percent, but none on American goods going to the EU. The truce between China and the United States has temporarily set fresh US duties on Chinese goods at 30 percent, while Chinese levies on trade in the other direction stand at 10 percent. That accord, reached in Geneva in May, brought down triple-digit tariffs each side had levelled at the other after a trade war sparked by Trump spiralled into a tit-for-tat bilateral escalation. The 90-day truce is meant to end on August 12. But there are indications both delegations want to use the Stockholm talks to push the date back further. The South China Morning Post, citing sources on both sides, reported on Sunday that Washington and Beijing are expected to extend their tariff pause by a further 90 days. Trump said he would be briefed again by Bessent on Wednesday. "We'll either approve it or not," he told reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned from Scotland. Trump's threats Separately, Trump has threatened to hit dozens of other countries with stiffer tariffs from Friday this week unless they reach trade deals with Washington. Among them are Brazil and India, with the South American giant facing a threat of 50 percent tariffs. Asked about Friday's deadline, Bessent told CNBC: "It's not the end of the world if these snapback tariffs are on for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, as long as the countries are moving forward and trying to negotiate in good faith." Trump has already announced deal outlines with five countries -- Britain, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines -- as well as the one with the 27-nation EU. Beijing says it wants to see "reciprocity" in its trade with the United States. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said dialogue was needed "to reduce misunderstandings". The previous round of China-US talks was held in London. Analysts said many of the trade deals Trump has been publicising were leaning more on optics than on details. Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management, a firm that advises on currency exchange and commodities, said an extension of the 90-day truce between China and the United States could reinforce that view. "That truce could set the stage for a Trump – (President) Xi (Jinping) handshake later this year -- another risk-on carrot for markets to chew," he said. © 2025 AFP
Euronews
5 hours ago
- Euronews
Greek government cautious on new EU-US trade deal reached with Trump
The Greek government appears hesitant and cautious in commenting on the EU-US trade deal on tariffs reached between Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump. Greek Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, speaking in the parliament, outlined the government's thoughts on this burning issue. He noted that it puts an end to months of uncertainty following Trump's election and the "back and forth" with the tariffs, and that is a positive thing. He stressed, however, that the government is studying the agreement to see how it can better manage the problems that will arise in areas of Greece's commercial interest. "The agreement puts an end to months of uncertainty regarding the status of perhaps the most important bilateral trade relationship in the global economy. It secures transatlantic unity and prevents a trade war with a chain of negative effects on international trade and on international distribution and production chains," Pierrakakis outlined. "The agreement also strengthens the energy security of the European economy for the foreseeable future. From this perspective, the development is positive." "As you know, as a matter of principle, Greece supports free trade based on stable rules. The agreement provides for the application of tariffs of 15% on European exports to the US, with some asterisks," Pierrakakis continued. "Based on the principled position I have described to you, the Greek government would like a lower tariff rate, ideally zero for all transatlantic trade flows. On the other hand, the announced tariff rate is lower than what was scheduled to be applied on 1 August." "The government is closely following the relevant consultations and, to the extent that the framework of the agreement will allow, possibilities will be explored that could help to better address issues related to products of particular interest to our country." 'Ending intra-European tariffs' The Greek finance minister also raised another issue, which concerns Europe itself. He said there are still intra-EU barriers that act as tariffs and should be eliminated. "If we really want a strong, competitive and single European economy, we have to tear down the last invisible walls that still prevent the free movement of goods and services within the Union," Pierrakakis said. "It is not possible that, decades after the Single Market was established, there are still regulatory or administrative barriers that in practice act as intra-European 'tariffs'." "In manufacturing there are equivalent internal tariffs of 45% and in services the equivalent is 110%. This is what the International Monetary Fund has documented, and Mario Draghi has mentioned it in his column," he explained. "So, what needs to be conquered and achieved is to remove the barriers, especially between the European economies. And of course we as a country should also be able to systematically address more and more markets, such as India and the Middle Eastern markets, for our exports." 'A defining development' The president of the Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Yannis Bratakos noted that the agreement is a defining development for global trade as things are now more predictable. On the other hand, he stressed that it creates serious challenges for Greek and European production. "The recent agreement between the United States and the European Union, which includes a new tariff framework, is a decisive development for transatlantic cooperation and the global economy," Bratakos said. "The new tariff framework resulting from the agreement creates conditions of greater predictability, but at the same time incorporates challenges for specific sectors of European production." Bratakos continued: "The exemption of strategic sectors, such as aeronautics, generic medicines, chemicals and certain agricultural goods, is a positive development." "However, the imposition of uniform tariffs on high-value-added products - including pharmaceutical, industrial and agri-food exports - may hurt the competitiveness of companies that support critical shares of the Greek economy." "Particular attention is needed to protect iconic Greek products, such as olive oil, feta and wines, which risk being burdened by the new regime. In this environment, the need for constant monitoring of developments and effective participation in the shaping of European decisions becomes crucial," Bratakos explained. "At the same time, the strengthening of energy cooperation with the US, through increased imports of LNG and investment in infrastructure, opens up new opportunities for Greece, especially in the fields of logistics, shipbuilding and regional energy interconnection." "The Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry calls on the Greek government to ensure, within the framework of the European institutions, that the final implementation of the agreement will not disrupt the competitiveness of Greek exports and will not increase the dependence of specific sectors on third markets." "It is time for our country to invest concretely and more actively in interconnection with the US and at the same time to broaden its export prospects to alternative markets. The Hellenic Business Association (EBEA) will continue to support this national effort with informed interventions, services to its members and the continuous promotion of Greek entrepreneurship abroad". Hopes of 'manageable' situation The port of Piraeus is a very large trade hub, the main seaport of Athens and plays a key role in the commercial and industrial traffic of Greece and Europe. "We want to believe that the agreement to impose tariffs at the 15% level is a manageable situation and we hope that it will not create losses in US-EU bilateral trade," President of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vassilis Korkidis said. "In international trade, any agreement is always better than no agreement and the unilateral imposition of measures and countermeasures. The fact that it was agreed to impose a 15% general tariff on all products including cars is an element that restores balance to US-European trade relations and seems to satisfy both parties," Korkidis explained. "However, the tariffs on steel and aluminium remain at 50%, and it is not clear whether pharmaceuticals and semiconductors will eventually be subject to separate tariffs." "The agreement also provides that the EU will buy US military equipment and energy worth a total of $750 billion, while making significant investments of $600 billion." "The European side calls it an 'all-inclusive' trade agreement between the two major trading partners that brings stability. Regardless of the details and exceptions, it is significant that after months of negotiations, the agreement was reached less than a week before the August 1 deadline and the imposition of higher tariffs that would have had serious repercussions," he said. "We want to believe that the agreement to impose tariffs at the 15% level is a manageable situation and we hope that it will not create losses in US-EU bilateral trade," Korkidis concluded.
