Flights to Spain for Sahrawi Minors on Holiday Cancelled

The Polisario Front's Representation in Spain has announced the cancellation of all flights to Spain for Sahrawi children included in the 'Holidays in Peace 2025' programme. Thanks to this initiative, several thousand refugee minors from Western Sahara spend each summer with Spanish families, away from the harsh desert conditions.

According to Abdulah Arabi, the Sahrawi militia's representative in Spain, the reason for this cancellation is the unresolved issue with the issuance of pending collective passports, which prevents the minors from travelling this year. This situation affects all autonomous communities "without exception," he stated, apologising to all affected individuals and institutions.

On June 17, the Council of Ministers approved the necessary instructions to authorise the temporary residence of Sahrawi minors, as well as the granting of stay visas to the monitors who would accompany them during their three-month stay in Spain.

The 'Holidays in Peace 2025' programme aims to provide temporary accommodation for minors from Sahrawi refugee camps located in the Algerian province of Tindouf. Between 2014 and 2024, nearly 34,500 Sahrawi children have benefited from this programme, which was established in the mid-1990s. This summer, around 3,000 minors were expected to participate, according to Europa Press.

Abdulah Arabi stated that "at all times" efforts have been made to safeguard "as many flights as possible" and expressed gratitude "in this exceptional situation" for the understanding and willingness of "all participating entities." "We are working," he noted, "in coordination with other actors and institutions involved to achieve a swift resolution that allows the full execution" of the programme.

This holiday initiative for Sahrawi minors, which is an annual event, was only interrupted for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The programme, managed by various Friends of the Sahrawi People entities and associations, along with the Sahrawi National Delegation and its representations in different autonomous communities, allows thousands of children to enjoy a holiday period in Spain from late June to early September, after which they return to their place of origin.