New Internationalist: Stranded in Melilla - The migrants stuck in Spanish enclaves
Omar Termoul feels trapped. He submitted his asylum application eight months ago, shortly after travelling from Algeria to Spanish territory. While a decision is pending, authorities have issued his tarjeta roja, a red card small enough to fit in his pocket, which lists his name, basic information and shows a photo of a younger, fresher-faced Omar.
All asylum seekers in Spain get a similar card – and this year there are more applicants than ever. According to the International Organization for Migration, over 40,000 migrants entered Spain through mid-September, more than over the last three years combined. But Omar didn’t get his tarjeta roja in Malaga, Cádiz or anywhere else in mainland Spain. If he had, he would have been able to move around the country freely and be one step closer to his wife in France, whom he hasn’t seen in a year….