Polisario at the Center of Controversy: Hindered Return of Filleh mint Chahid mint Laaroussi to Spain

A young Sahrawi named Filleh mint Chahid mint Laaroussi was prevented by her biological family, living in the Tindouf camps in Algerian territory under the influence of the Polisario, from returning to Spain after participating in the “Holidays in Peace” program. This girl had been adopted and raised by a Spanish family.

This case is not isolated and is part of a series of incidents where Sahrawi girls adopted by Spanish families were forcibly held by the Polisario after visiting their families in the Tindouf camps. Notable examples include cases such as Nadjiba Mohamed Belkacem, Elkouria Badbad Hafed, Maloma Morales de Matos, and Darya Embarek Selma.

Filleh mint Chahid mint Laaroussi’s biological parents deliberately destroyed her travel documents on the orders of the Polisario, preventing her from returning to her adoptive family in Spain. As a result, she was held against her will in the Tindouf camps.

Following this, her adoptive family sought the assistance of a Sahrawi named Hammada ould Essaleh, who successfully extracted her from the so-called Laayoune camp in the Boucraa district, taking her to the Spanish Consulate in Oran. She has been there since Wednesday, January 3, 2024, hoping to be repatriated to Spain.

When the disappearance of the young girl came to the attention of her relatives, they caused an uproar, attracting the attention of Algerian security authorities who are currently attempting to forcibly return the girl to the Tindouf camps, with her biological family. However, Filleh refuses to go back, seeking to avoid the disruptions caused by threats made by her relatives against the families of the Sahrawi responsible for her abduction.