Oxfam says Spain long way behind on refugee quotas

A report published by the charity Oxfam Intermon on Thursday has strongly criticized Spain for falling behind on accepting its agreed quota of refugees from the conflict in Syria and Iraq.

"Spain has failed disastrously... it is a long way behind fulfilling its promises," said Oxfam in the report, which highlights that so far Spain has only accepted 480 of the 17,387 refugees it promised to accept in an agreement with the European Union in 2015.

Oxfam also criticized the Spanish government for returning immigrants who have crossed the frontier into the north African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla without undergoing the correct procedure.

"There are numerous incidence and evidence which shows that the Civil Guard apprehend those who are on or over the Spanish wire and then return them immediately to Morocco, without the necessary process of identification, without giving them the chance to ask for asylum, without telling them they have the right to do so, or to give them the chance to appeal against their return," the report said.

"This practice has been carried out for years, but it is being increasingly used. It means the expulsion of dozens of people a year and goes against both European and international law," it added. Endit