Sàfia, a Sahrawi woman living in Spain, has been stranded in Algeria for 19 months
- From refuge in Spain to confinement in Algeria
- Diplomatic interventions without result
- No solutions in sight
Sàfia is a 28-year-old Sahrawi woman who has lived in Spain since childhood and has been detained in Algeria since February 2024. Her situation has raised concerns among human rights organisations, although no resolution has been reached at this time.
From refuge in Spain to confinement in Algeria
Born in 1997 in the Tindouf refugee camps in Algeria, Sàfia arrived in Spain at the age of eight as part of a reception programme. She was raised by a family in Dos Hermanas (Seville), where she studied, worked and obtained legal residence in Spain, although not Spanish nationality, but rather stateless status recognised by the Spanish state.
Everything was normal in her life until February 2024, when Sàfia travelled to Algeria for family reasons. Once in the North African country, according to testimonies gathered by media outlets such as Tribuna Digital7, during her stay, her mother withdrew her documentation and prevented her from returning. Since then, she has remained in Algiers, with no possibility of leaving the country through official channels.
According to sources close to the case, Sàfia's return has been blocked due to the refusal of the Polisario Front, which has influence in the Tindouf camps, to issue a ‘mission order’, a document required by the Algerian authorities to allow boarding on international flights.
Diplomatic interventions without result
In the search for a possible solution, the Consulate General of Spain in Algeria has issued two safe-conduct passes, the first in May 2024 and the second in February 2025. However, neither has been sufficient to allow Sàfia to leave, since, according to local legislation established by the Polisario, the authorisation of that organisation is necessary for the movement of persons from the Tindouf camps.
In support of the Consulate, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation has confirmed that it is aware of the case. However, no public statement has been issued, nor has any official progress been reported on the repatriation.
In Parliament, MP Tesh Sidi, from the Sumar political party, raised the case in a session of Congress, requesting urgent measures to ensure Sàfia's return to Spain and pointing out possible violations of fundamental rights. However, there has been no response from the central government so far.
On the other hand, the case has attracted the attention of citizens' groups and Sàfia's host family in Spain, who have made several formal requests to the Executive through formal letters, which have not received any response from the institutions.
La ciudadana de origen saharaui Safia lleva 19 meses retenida en Argel, en una situación de extrema vulnerabilidad. Exigimos al Gobierno de la RASD que active todos los mecanismos de protección y garantía necesarios para salvaguardar sus derechos.
— Tesh Sidi🇪🇭 (@teshsidi) July 15, 2025
Desde España, trabajaremos para… pic.twitter.com/Jck92aCJtg
No solutions in sight
However, Sàfia's situation is not unique. Previous cases such as those of Maloma Morales, Koria Badbad, Nadjiba Mohamed and Darya Embarek are examples of Sahrawi women who are being held in Algeria against their will. In all of these cases, their departure was delayed for months or years.
From a legal point of view, Spanish law establishes that stateless persons with legal residence in the country have the right to consular protection in emergency situations. However, the fact of not having Spanish nationality limits certain mechanisms for action, especially in contexts where local authorities do not recognise the legal value of documents issued by the country of residence.
For the time being, Sàfia remains in Algiers, without a passport or NIE, unable to travel and with no date set for her return. The only avenue currently open would be the issuance of an authorisation by the Polisario Front or diplomatic intervention to resolve her situation.
