Morocco refuses to take back Lebanese man suspected of terror links who crossed into Ceuta

Morocco refused to accept the return of a Lebanese man suspected by Spanish police of links to terrorist groups after he entered Ceuta during a mass crossing at the end of July, according to Spanish newspaper El Faro de Ceuta.

Spanish National Police located the man in Ceuta after opening an investigation to determine his whereabouts and assess his situation following his arrival in the Spanish enclave.

Spanish authorities had reportedly planned to remove him from Ceuta through the Tarajal border crossing and transfer him to Morocco.

The plan, however, could not go ahead after Moroccan authorities refused to receive him because he is a Lebanese national.

The man remains in Ceuta and is currently free, although he is subject to legal restrictions. He must report to police headquarters every Tuesday while Spanish authorities decide what steps to take next.

Spanish authorities are considering transferring him to a Foreigners’ Detention Center, where procedures could eventually be launched to send him to his country of origin.

The Lebanese citizen insists that no final court ruling has found him guilty of belonging to or collaborating with a terrorist organization.

His lawyer says his case remains at an administrative stage and that he is still able to challenge the procedure against him.

In a letter sent to El Faro de Ceuta, the man’s legal representation also challenged reports that Morocco had refused his transfer, arguing that there was no official document showing a final expulsion order or a formal Moroccan rejection.

His defense has accused the Spanish newspaper’s sources of presenting suspicions as established facts and warned that associating him publicly with terrorism without a final judicial ruling could seriously damage his reputation and personal life.

The lawyer has called for clearer distinctions between information that may have triggered an administrative procedure and a final judicial decision establishing criminal responsibility.

The man’s version directly conflicts with information attributed to police sources, who told El Faro de Ceuta that investigators had established links between the Lebanese citizen and terrorist groups and that authorities had activated procedures to remove him from Spanish territory.

The man reportedly filed complaints with police to challenge the circulation of his image alongside alleged criminals.