Eduardo González
The Government has denied any involvement in the opening of two migrant detention centers in Mauritania that were rehabilitated and equipped by the Foundation for the Internationalization of Public Administrations (FIAP), dependent on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “within the framework of a project to combat human trafficking and smuggling and support for migration management financed entirely by the European Union.”
On April 28, Jon Iñarritu García, deputy of the EH Bildu Parliamentary Group, registered a written parliamentary question about an investigative article by the Por Causa Foundation, published on November 5 by the newspaper ‘El Salto’, in which it was reported that the Government of Spain had opened two migrant prisons in Mauritania and that both detention centers had been built by the Spanish cooperation agency FIAP, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
For this reason, EH Bildu asked the Government, among other things, “what is true in this information”, what has been the role of the Government of Spain in “the opening of said Mauritania detention centers”, if “legal reports were requested before the opening” and if it is true that these centers are inspired by the Temporary Care Centers for Foreigners (CATE) of the Canary Islands “in which the entry of minors is not allowed”, despite which “those centers of Mauritania they would intern minors.”
The Basque formation also asked the Executive if “the Government considers it normal to support actions that would not be legal in Spain” and what agreements, bilateral or multilateral agreements exist between Spain (or FIAP) and Mauritania for collaboration on migration, migrant detention or externalization of borders.
It also asks what oversight or accountability mechanisms the Government has put in place to ensure that Mauritania’s centers comply with international human rights standards (treatment of minors, family separation, right to asylum, non-refoulement, conditions of detention) and “what is the Government’s position regarding minors who may be detained in these centers, and how their protection, separation, access to guardianship or social services is guaranteed.”
“Considering that Spanish legislation prohibits minors from being held in immigration detention centers internally, does the Government estimate that it would be possible to do so abroad in centers built with Spanish funds?” it continues. EH Bildu also asks “what opinion does Spain have of Mauritania carrying out chain returns or abandonment of vulnerable people in areas of extreme risk” and what opinion does it have of this year’s Human Rights Watch report in relation to Mauritania’s treatment of migrations. “Does the Government consider that it has no subsidiary responsibility for possible violations of human rights by Mauritania?” concludes the question.
Government response
In its response, registered on May 25 and published this week by the Official Gazette of the Cortes Generales, the Government assures that “the temporary reception centers opened by the Mauritanian authorities are not Spanish Temporary Care Centers for Foreigners (CATE), they are not opened by the Spanish authorities, they are not managed by the State Security Forces or Corps or any Spanish agency or administration, nor are they subject to Spanish regulations.”
“These are two centers that have been rehabilitated and equipped by FIAP within the framework of a project to combat human trafficking and smuggling and support for migration management financed entirely by the European Union,” he continues. “There has been no financing from the Government of Spain,” it insists. Likewise, it ensures that, for the design and rehabilitation of the centers, the standards set by the European Asylum Support Agency (EASO) have been followed, based on respect for human rights.
“It is false that Spanish legislation prohibits the entry of minors into CATEs,” he continues. “The admission of minors always occurs in the company of an adult with the aim of not separating families,” it adds. “The Temporary Care Centers for Foreigners (CATE) for the first reception and determination of immigration status are being confused with the Detention Centers for Foreigners (CIE) for people with an expulsion order,” warns the Executive. “No project implemented by FIAP participates in expulsion operations,” it assures.