According to the Fiscalía générale de l’État espagnol, hidden passports and extremely restrictive consular policies are leaving numerous criminal deportation orders unenforceable. Revealed on Thursday, September 10, during the opening of the 2026-2027 judicial year, the state prosecutor’s annual report details how Moroccan consulates demand original, valid passports before accepting readmissions, while certain convicted individuals deliberately conceal their documents to block identification and repatriation.
Prosecutorial Reports Highlight Growing Deportation Hurdles
Prosecutors in Seville, the Balearic Islands, Valencia, Murcia, and Zaragoza all flagged mounting difficulties when attempting to return Moroccan nationals subjected to expulsion measures tied to criminal proceedings. According to the Spanish Fiscalía, Moroccan consulates maintain an extremely restrictive stance, refusing readmission unless the subject presents an original, valid passport. The report indicates that numerous affected individuals exploit this requirement by hiding their travel documents.
While the state prosecutor emphasizes that these convicts know the absence of documentation halts their effective return, the report does not disclose the exact number of individuals involved or the precise percentage of blocked expulsions. In a broader context, data from lalibre.be notes that foreign national populations in European correctional systems face distinct bilateral frameworks, with comparative prison demographics showing 894 Moroccan detainees accounting for a minority share of the average daily population in Belgian facilities during 2023.
Examination of Expulsion Avis and Institutional Delays
During 2025, Spanish prosecutors specializing in human trafficking and immigration issued 1,287 notices concerning the expulsion of foreign nationals involved in criminal proceedings. These statistics encompass multiple nationalities rather than solely Moroccan citizens, reflecting judicial evaluations where judges consider replacing criminal prosecutions or prison sentences with territorial banishment.
Beyond passport issues, the Fiscalía points to court congestion, untraceable individuals, concurrent criminal cases, and administrative transmission delays as major barriers. In certain files, courts postpone deportation decisions until the execution phase, or fail to notify administrative authorities promptly. Additionally, the report contrasts this with the situation regarding Algerian consulates, where authorities reportedly issue almost no necessary travel documents, rendering expulsions to Algeria materially impossible in several Spanish provinces.
Did You Know? In 2025, Spanish prosecutors specializing in human trafficking and immigration reviewed 1,287 expulsion notices for foreign nationals involved in criminal cases, marking a rise from the previous year.
Diplomatic Friction Over Minors and Consular Cooperation
Bilateral tensions extend beyond criminal deportations. Madrid maintains that Morocco fails to respond to approximately 600 procedures concerning the return of Moroccan minors. Conversely, Rabat asserts readiness to repatriate children who arrived during the recent crisis in Sebta.
Such diplomatic frictions mirror the complex legal safeguards governing international transfers. As reported by lalibre.be, bilateral agreements—such as those governing transfers from Belgian prisons where authorities returned 232 non-residents in 2024—prohibit removals against an individual’s will if they arrived before age twelve, hold refugee status, or maintain deep family and residential ties.
Expert Insight: Consular demands for original travel documents create significant operational bottlenecks for judicial authorities. When combined with internal administrative delays and deliberate document concealment, executing statutory expulsion orders becomes exceedingly difficult without seamless inter-state cooperation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main obstacle to executing criminal expulsions to Morocco?
According to the Spanish Fiscalía, Moroccan consulates maintain an extremely restrictive policy requiring an original, valid passport, a condition that numerous convicted individuals intentionally exploit by hiding their documents.
How many expulsion notices were examined by Spanish prosecutors?
What difficulties are reported regarding Algerian deportations?
The Fiscalía states that Algerian consulates practically do not issue the necessary travel documents, rendering expulsions to Algeria materially impossible in certain Spanish provinces.
What measures could authorities adopt next to overcome document concealment by convicts facing deportation?