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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Ashifa Kassam

‘The only option is to be patient’: Sudanese refugee waits on Spanish asylum claim filed from Morocco

Basir (face blurred) and Arsenio Cores outside the Spanish embassy in Morocco
Basir (not his real name) with his lawyer Arsenio Cores in December 2022 outside the Spanish embassy in Morocco where Basir applied for asylum. Basir's face has been blurred to protect his identity. Photograph: Demos Law Firm for Human Rights

For 25-year-old Basir, it was a ray of hope after fleeing Sudan more than a decade ago. For his lawyers, the asylum request he made from Morocco was the ultimate test of whether Spain – and more broadly the EU – was willing to provide safe migration routes to some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

Thirteen months later, the answer is a resounding no. Little has changed for Basir, a Christian, who was left for dead at 15 in an attack that killed his father and brother. He continues to live rough on the streets of Morocco, scrambling to land odd jobs so he can buy food. He asked that his real name not be used for safety reasons.

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