To Avoid Deportation to Morocco, Convicts Hide Their Passports
Moroccan convicts are allegedly deliberately concealing their passports to block their return to Morocco. The practice is described by several Spanish public prosecutors’ offices, which accuse Moroccan consulates of systematically requiring the original document before agreeing to readmission.
A hidden passport may be enough to make a deportation unenforceable. This is one of the findings set out by the Spanish State Prosecutor’s Office in its annual report made public on Thursday, September 10, at the opening of the 2026-2027 judicial year.
The public prosecutors’ offices in Seville, the Balearic Islands, Valencia, Murcia and Zaragoza all report difficulties in returning to Morocco nationals subject to a deportation order as part of criminal proceedings.
According to the Spanish State Prosecutor’s Office, Moroccan consulates maintain a position described as “extremely restrictive.” Rabat would accept readmission only if the person presents their valid original passport.
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This requirement is allegedly exploited by some convicts. The public prosecutor’s office states that “many” individuals deliberately hide their passports, knowing that the absence of the document may prevent their identification and their effective return to Morocco. However, the report specifies neither their number nor the proportion of deportations blocked in this way.
1,287 deportation opinions examined in one year
In 2025, Spanish prosecutors specializing in human trafficking and immigration issued 1,287 opinions concerning the deportation of foreigners involved in criminal proceedings. Their number rose by 15.2% compared with the 1,117 opinions recorded in 2024.
These figures concern all nationalities. They therefore correspond neither to 1,287 Moroccan nationals nor to as many deportations actually ordered. A public prosecutor’s opinion may be issued when a judge considers replacing criminal proceedings or part of a prison sentence with removal from Spanish territory.
The Moroccan passport is not, moreover, the only obstacle identified. The Fiscalía also cites court backlogs, the impossibility of locating certain people, the existence of other ongoing criminal cases and delays in transmitting judgments to the authorities responsible for carrying out deportations.
In some cases, the decision to return is not settled at the time of the trial and is postponed to the enforcement stage. In others, the court does not communicate its decision to the administration quickly enough, which delays or prevents the departure.
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The report also addresses Algerian consulates, but describes a different situation. While Morocco would accept returns subject to the presentation of a valid original passport, Algeria would hardly issue the necessary documents. In some Spanish provinces, deportations to that country are described as materially impossible.
The issue of cooperation with Rabat extends beyond convicts alone. Madrid also criticizes Morocco for failing to respond to around 600 procedures concerning the return of Moroccan minors. Rabat, on the other hand, says it is willing to take back the children who arrived during the recent crisis in Ceuta.
